Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products
AEgera Therapeutics (Montreal, PQ)
CMDF Investment: $5,573,000
Private Company
Focus:Cancer Central Nervous System Disorders Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products Parkinson's Disease
Company Website
CMDF was instrumental in the creation of Aegera Therapeutics Inc. in May 2000 through the merger of two CMDF portfolio companies - Apoptogen Inc.; (Ottawa) and Exogen Neurosciences Inc.; (Montreal). Aegera brings together exciting technologies involved in identifying and manipulating cellular pathways implicated in the survival; growth and death of nerve cells.
Several neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are believed to result from genetic alterations within nerve cells that lead to abnormal; premature cell death. From its unique knowledge of the genetic processes involved in these diseases; Aegera is developing novel therapies to extend and enhance the lives of people suffering from acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions and nerve injuries.
In addition a proprietary therapeutic approach to cancer; is also under development in the company's wholly owned subsidiary; Aegera Oncology; based upon the restoration of normal cell death mechanisms to cancer cells.
Neuromed Pharmaceuticals (Vancouver, BC)
CMDF Investment: $4,592,000
Private Company
Focus:Central Nervous System Disorders Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products
Company Website
VANCOUVER
301-2389 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z3
CANADA
telephone : 604-909-2530
facsmile : 604-909-2538
PHILADELPHIA
Six Tower Bridge, Suite 440
181 Washington Street
Conshohocken, PA 19428
USA
telephone: 484-533-6900
facsmile: 484-533-6921
Neuromed is a biopharmaceutical company developing new and improved pain therapies. Lead drug candidate, OROS Hydromorphone®, in Phase 3 clinical development, is an extended release formulation of hydromorphone. In collaboration with Merck, Neuromed is also researching compounds designed to block the N-type calcium channel, a target linked to pain signal transmission.
Seperately, Neuromed is developing T-type calcium channel blockers aimed at acute and chronic pain, hypertension and epilepsy. Neuromed has offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia and Vancouver, British Columbia.
For more information visit www.neuromed.com
Spectral Diagnostics (Toronto, ON)
CMDF Investment: $4,850,000
Public (TSX : SDI)
Focus:Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products Infectious Dieases
Company Website
Spectral Diagnostics Inc. remains dedicated to the research; development and commercialization of innovative rapid diagnostics. Our Cardiac STATus® line of products is sold worldwide as markers for rapid identification of a heart attack in patients. The Endotoxin Activity Assay is the first approved assay for rapid read as assessment for developing severe sepsis in the ICU. Our pipeline includes new assays for point-of-care diagnosis. Spectral is a Canadian publicly traded company incorporated in 1991 with operations in Canada; the United States and Europe. Spectral's products are available worldwide.
Transition Therapeutics (Toronto, ON)
CMDF Investment: $2,049,000
Public (TSX : TTH)
Focus:Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products Central Nervous System Disorders Diabetes
Company Website
Transition is a product-focused biopharmaceutical company; developing novel therapeutics for disease indications with large markets. The company’s lead products include regenerative therapies E1-I.N.T.™ and GLP1-I.N.T.™ for the treatment of diabetes; MS-I.E.T. for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and HCV-I.E.T. for the treatment of hepatitis C.
Transition has commenced a Phase II clinical trial for MS-I.E.T. in patients with multiple sclerosis and has received clearance to initiate an exploratory Phase IIa clinical trial to evaluate efficacy; safety; and tolerability of E1-I.N.T.™ in both type I and type II diabetes patients. In addition; a phase I/II clinical trial of its product; HCV-I.E.T. in hepatitis C patients is planned for the first quarter of calendar 2005.
Viron Therapeutics (London, ON)
CMDF Investment: $7,004,000
Private Company
Focus:Cardiovascular Diseases & Blood Products Inflammatory Diseases
Company Website
Viron is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to becoming a market leader in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. By harnessing the evolutionary power of viruses that have evolved over millennia to withstand the human body’s protective inflammatory response; the Company is developing powerful protein therapeutics that will block the human body’s inflammatory attack. The Company’s lead compound; VT-111; has recently entered Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of vascular inflammation in patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes and is also undergoing late preclinical studies for the treatment of transplant vasculopathy. Viron’s additional pipeline of 5 compounds in preclinical development; combined with a robust discovery program; strongly positions the Company to be a leader in the discovery and commercialization of bio-therapeutics to treat inflammatory based diseases.
