Infectious Dieases
Inimex Pharmaceuticals (Vancouver, BC)
CMDF Investment: $3,000,000
Private Company
Focus:Infectious Dieases
Company Website
Inimex Pharmaceuticals is focused on the discovery; development and commercialization of new medicines based on a novel mechanism that will overcome the issues of drug resistance. Inimex medicines selectively augment host innate immunity without co-stimulation of pro-inflammatory responses linked to tissue damage and sepsis. Inimex is currently optimizing its first drug candidate as a new therapy against nosocomial pneumonia. Based on the Company's proprietary understanding of the mechanism of action of this drug; Inimex will simultaneously identify second generation compounds that will permit expansion into the community infection market.
MethylGene (Montreal, PQ)
CMDF Investment: $2,900,000
Public (TSX-MYG)
Focus:Cancer Infectious Dieases
Company Website
MethylGene's scientific platforms include three distinct and proprietary chemical approaches to inhibit cancer and other diseases using novel antisense compounds and small molecule compounds. Antisense drugs are short strands of modified DNA that; based on their sequence; can specifically target a gene and prevent it from working. While small molecule drugs such as aspirin and morphine; work on their molecular target based on their structure; antisense drugs work on their gene target; based on their sequence. Advantages of antisense drugs include increased specificity for their target and decreased toxic effects.
MG98; MethylGene's lead anticancer drug candidate and inhibitor of DNA Methyltransferase; the company's first anticancer target is in Phase II trials in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. MethylGene has a strategic agreement with MGI PHARMA (Minneapolis; MN) to financially support the trials and other research programs.
PharmAthene (Toronto, ON)
CMDF Investment: $5,182,000
Private Company
Focus:Infectious Dieases
Company Website
PharmAthene is engaged in the discovery and development of new human therapeutics and prophylactics for the treatment and prevention of morbidity and mortality from exposure to chemical and biological weapons. PharmAthene’s mission is to seize leadership in this emerging area by developing a portfolio of products urgently needed by the U.S. Government and its allies. PharmAthene has two products under development that are intended to provide protection from anthrax and chemical threats. Beyond its initial focus in biodefense; PharmAthene intends to identify and develop dual-use technologies which have application and indications in broader commercial markets.
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.
Targanta Therapeutics (Montreal, PQ)
CMDF Investment: $8,584,000
Private Company
Focus:Infectious Dieases
Company Website
Targanta Therapeutics is a private biopharmaceutical company; internally developing a portfolio of small molecule antibacterial products. The Company was founded in 1997 by faculty members from McGill University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently staffed with 33 employees. Targanta is developing small-molecule antibacterial agents aiming at the disruption of the DNA replication and transcription machinery through the targets of bacteriophages ("phages"); viruses that attack bacteria. This approach effectively mimics strategies devised through four billion years of evolutionary pressure with regards to the selection of druggable bacterial targets; in contrast to current drug discovery efforts; which often focus on comparative functional bacterial genomics. The Company has been able to identify the molecular interactions enabling phages to hamper bacterial sustainability; and thereby has validated an innovative process for identifying novel drug targets and a new class of proprietary antibacterial molecules. Targanta's approach circumvents the demonstrated limitations of sequencing bacterial genomes as a way to identify novel antibacterial targets and new classes of antibacterials. The Company is in the process of converting this unique expertise in terms of target validation into novel antibacterial drugs.
Trillium Therapeutics (Toronto, ON)
CMDF Investment: $3,270,000
Private Company
Focus:Infectious Dieases Inflammatory Diseases
Company Website
Trillium Therapeutics Inc. (TT) is a private immune therapy research and development company. TTI's focus is to develop therapies that restore balance to the immune system in conditions associated with abnormal and harmful immune responses; such as autoimmune and inflammatory disorders; viral hepatitis and transplant-related organ failure. TTI's business model is to identify therapeutic candidates with promising efficacy profiles in animal models and advance these into clinical testing. It is concentrating its activities on pre-clinical and early clinical development; with the primary objective of demonstrating safety and efficacy in humans. The company will seek development partners for late stage clinical trials.
Twinstrand Therapeutics (Burnaby, BC)
CMDF Investment: $4,084,000
Private Company
Focus:Aids Cancer Infectious Dieases
Company Website
Twinstrand Therapeutics Inc. is a privately owned biopharmaceutical company (incorporated in 1995) with modern laboratories and offices in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby; British Columbia.
Twinstrand specializes in the development of recombinant therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases. Using molecular genetic and combinatorial methods; the company is advancing a family of prodrugs that are activated by disease-associated proteases. Twinstrand's molecules have a wide range of potential applications in the treatment of diseases such as cancer; HIV/AIDS; hepatitis A and C; cytomegalovirus and herpes. Cancer is the leading application of the company's technology.
