- adMare BioInnovations, Canada’s Global Life Sciences Venture, along with partners McGill University and AmorChem II Fund l.p., a leading early-stage venture capital fund, is advancing made-in- Canada research that aims to provide new opiate-sparing pain-relieving drugs. adMare and AmorChem have created a new company, Neurasic Therapeuti
| MONTREAL, June 4, 2020 /CNW/ - adMare BioInnovations, Canada’s Global Life Sciences Venture, along with partners McGill University and AmorChem II Fund l.p., a leading early-stage venture capital fund, is advancing made-in-Canada research that aims to provide new opiate-sparing pain-relieving drugs. adMare and AmorChem have created a new company, Neurasic Therapeutics, based on breakthrough research from Dr. Philippe Séguéla, professor of neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, that was validated and further advanced by adMare BioInnovations. Dr. Séguéla is a world-expert in ion channel biology and molecular pharmacology. His research lab at the Montreal Neurological Institute (the Neuro) is renowned for investigating genes, cells and circuits involved in pain perception and analgesia. Neurasic’s potential drug therapy targets acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a gene family of neuronal receptors activated by protons that play a role in multiple neurological disorders. Early research has shown that blocking ASICs elicits analgesia (the inability to feel pain) in chronic pain conditions, therefore eliminating the need for opiate-based drugs. Dr. Séguéla and adMare have developed a proprietary method to identify molecules that block the ASICs. “This drug development program is an excellent example of academic research that has the potential to provide the best-in-class treatments that patients need. adMare is proud to have been able to validate and advance this work, generate valuable IP and data, and bring together McGill and AmorChem to create a very commercially-attractive opportunity,” says Gordon C. McCauley, President and CEO of adMare BioInnovations. “We are excited to maximize the potential of Dr. Séguéla’s discoveries on ASICs, along with the return on public investment in research.” “We have been following Dr. Séguéla’s work for a few years and see much promise in his research. The validation provided by the collaboration with adMare was an important factor in our decision to invest in this platform. We believe that Neurasic will benefit greatly from our three groups’ combined expertise in early-stage investing and preclinical development in this field,” added Maxime Ranger, General Partner at AmorChem and President of Neurasic. “Early stage investing requires important financial resources and sustained collaborative work. It is therefore crucial to foster ties between Canadian stakeholders, and AmorChem is happy to partner with adMare and Dr. Séguéla in building a Canadian anchor company in the pain space. AmorChem is particularly pleased to be providing Neurasic with Maxime Ranger’s solid start-up management experience,” says Inès Holzbaur, Managing Partner at AmorChem. Dr. Guy Rouleau, CEO, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) added, “Dr. Séguéla and I are thrilled with the launch of Neurasic Therapeutics. This drug development program paves the way towards innovative strategies to reverse the opioid crisis impacting Canadians countrywide. The creation of Neurasic also spearheads our vision that the Neuro could leverage its position as an open science institute to build attractive business models for its high-value technologies. Neurasic was enabled by NeuroSphere, McGill’s neuroscience accelerator funded through HBHL, which was instrumental in driving this new endeavour and securing key partnerships to make this vision a reality.” “Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) is very proud to be part of Dr. Séguéla’s efforts to find safer alternatives to opioids through Neurasic Therapeutics,” said Krystle van Hoof, Managing Director and CEO, HBHL. “We’re dedicated to fueling neuroscience discoveries and innovations at McGill, and NeuroSphere, our neuroscience accelerator, allows HBHL to proactively ensure that critical medical breakthroughs reach patients. We will continue to proudly support Dr. Séguéla and Neurasic in their efforts, and will build on this first success to help advance other ground-breaking innovations in the near future.” For more information on Neurasic Therapeutics, visit www.neurasictherapeutics.com. About adMare About AmorChem About The Neuro About Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives SOURCE adMare BioInnovations |
