SOCPRA annual report 2012

INVESTING IN KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD THE FUTURE

ANNUAL REPORT 2012 T H E F U L L VA L U E O F R E S E A R C H

TABLE OF CONTENT

3 Highlights 4 Message from the Chairperson of the Board of Directors 6 Message from the President and Chief Executive Officer 8 Grant Applications for Technology Maturation 9 Actions Undertaken in 2011 10 Licensing Options and License Agreements Signed 14 Testimonials 18 Networking and Intellectual Property Training A c t i v i t y 19 SOCPRA’s Board of Directors 19 Still to Come in 2013

HIGHLIGHTS (December 31, 2012)

01

03

Revenue generated

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

$663,386 $1,044,831 $543,744 $321,991 $216,727

02

2012

2010

Number of active licensing options and license agreements 2009 2008

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

• In 2012, we generated $663,386 in revenue versus over $1M in 2011.

It must be noted that 2011 was an exceptional year marked by the sale of a technology.

• At the end of 2012, we had a total of twenty-three (23) active licensing options and license agreements in our portfolio versus eighteen (18) in 2011.

$204,411

$32,774 $82,875

2011

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 0

Redistribution of royalties to inventors

$326,548

$106,645 $34,012 $5,659

$135,883

$31,976 $8,276

• In 2012, $237,185 were redistributed to participating inventors and institutions as royalties versus $409,423 in 2011.

Legend:

 SOCPRA SG s.e.c.: SOCPRA Science and Engineering, Limited Partnership  SOCPRA SSH s.e.c.: SOCPRA Science and Humanities, Limited Partnership

3

4

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The year 2012 was characterized by the renewal of the technology transfer agreements between SOCPRA’s two limited partnerships and the Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS), our sole sponsor. This renewal, which came into effect in January 2012, was for a second five-year mandate. I wish to thank our sponsor for its support, trust and recognition. Without this commitment, it would be impossible for us to fulfil our mission and thus ensure the sustainability of our valorization and commercialization activities.

Since our first five-year mission has officially come to an end, the time has come to review our achievements.

Essentially, SOCPRA’s mission is to manage intellectual property stemming from the results of the research performed by the researchers of the Université de Sherbrooke and its affiliated institutions. SOCPRA must act in order to maximize the commercial potential of intellectual property. In order to do that, it must get involved with the researchers in the writing of grant applications for technology maturation. It must also identify and contact commercial partners in order to market intellectual property through the granting of licensing options or license agreements or the sale of technology.

In October 2012, SOCPRA celebrated its fifth birthday with networking and intellectual property training events. We also took this opportunity to present the first review of our achievements issued since we started our operations in 2007. SOCPRA then had 80 technologies in its portfolio involving around 240 researchers. With the help of these researchers, over $9.3M in technology maturation grants were obtained for 32 technologies. These financial aid programs are essential since they allow to develop the technologies and to rouse the interest of commercial partners in order to generate major economic spinoffs. Indeed, these financial contributions allowed, among other things, to hire people to fill or maintain 120 jobs for highly qualified individuals.

During our first five years of operation, over $2.8M in revenue were generated through the sale of a technology or the granting of licensing options or license agreements among which 23 were still active at the end of 2012. These spinoffs allowed the researchers involved to benefit from royalties of almost $1M. This review clearly shows that SOCPRA is reaping the fruit of its labour.

I would like to thank the members of SOCPRA’s Board of Directors for their valuable advice, their dedication as well as their vigilance with regards to matters of governance. In addition, I would like to express a warm ‘thank you’ to Alex Navarre who’s mandate as administrator ended in December 2012. Furthermore, I want to acknowledge the arrival of Claude Charest, who joined SOCPRA’s Board in July 2012.

Finally, I want to congratulate all the SOCPRA team members who contribute through their talent to the implementation of our strategies and the achievement of our objectives.

Manon Laporte

5

6

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Years follow each other but are very dissimilar. This is no surprise however, since we must remember that 2011 was an exceptional year because of the revenues generated by the sale of a technology in SOCPRA’s portfolio. Among other things, this sale allowed SOCPRA, to generate total revenues of $1,044,831 in 2011, while the revenues for 2012 total $663,386.

In spite of a difficult global economic climate in 2012, we withnessed several business start-ups. Six of these took advantage of a licensing option or a license agreement for one or several technologies in SOCPRA’s portfolio. Three of these benefited from the great advice of our partner ACET (Accélérateur de création d’entreprises technologiques). Additionally, the economic context was very difficult for a partner company, causing us to have to put an end to a license agreement. SOCPRA increased the number of active licensing options to the net total of twenty-three (23) versus eighteen (18) in 2011.

True to its mission, SOCPRA shares net royalties stemming from active licensing options and license agreements with inventors. In 2012, SOCPRA redistributed a total of $237,185 in royalties to inventors versus $409,423 in 2011.

In 2012, eleven (11) technologies were transferred to SOCPRA by the Université de Sherbrooke, three (3) less than in 2011. In addition, seven (7) provisional patent applications were submitted in 2012, while sixteen (16) applications had been submitted in 2011. Moreover, the strength of a portfolio lies in the number of patents issued and SOCPRA was granted seven (7) patents in 2012 while it obtained fourteen (14) in 2011. SOCPRA’s portfolio therefore has a total of seventy (70) patents among which several are already under license.

On December 31, 2012, the number of patents pending was one hundred and thirty-seven (137). We hope several of these will be issued in 2013.

2011

2012

Technologies transferred from the UdeS to SOCPRA

14

11

Provisional patent applications submitted

16

7

Patents granted

14

7

Patents pending

135

137

In order to carry out its mission, SOCPRA surrounds itself with partners and fosters teamwork with researches to ensure the signing of contract agreements and the performance of knowledge transfers. SOCPRA draws its strength from the integration of several stakeholders focused on a common goal that ensures that the technologies discovered at the Université de Sherbrooke are valorized and commercialized successfully.

This is also what motivates the researchers with whom we interact on a regular basis.

For these reasons, I especially want to extend heartfelt thanks to the researchers who share our passion for technology transfer. I also would like to thank all of our partners. The synergy created by our collaborations is essential to our success.

I also wish to extend warm thanks to the members of SOCPRA’s Board for their great dedication and invaluable advice. Likewise, I wish to thank all the members of the team for their professionalism and dedication as well as for all the efforts they put forth to achieve our business plan.

Josée Fortin

7

GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY MATURATION 8

Government agency or ministry

SOCPRA SG s.e.c.

SOCPRA SSH s.e.c.

Total

$ granted

# applications submitted

$ granted

Success % Accepted/ Submitted

$0

2

$250,000

66,7%

1

$60,000

100,0%

3

$473,401

60,0%

$ granted

# applications submitted

3

$250,000

0

NSERC (I2I: phase Ib)

1

$60,000

0

$0

CIHR (POP-I)

0

$0

5

$473,401

Total

4

$310,000

5

$473,401

6

$783,401

NSERC (I2I: phase I)

# applications submitted

We submitted grant applications to federal government granting agencies, as indicated in the following table.

A grand total of nine (9) applications were submitted. Six (6) of these were granted, which allowed us to collect more than $800,000 for the advancement of the technologies in our portfolio.

Legend:

NSERC: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council CIHR: Canadian Institutes of Health Research I2I: Idea to Innovation POP: Proof of Principle SOCPRA SG s.e.c. : SOCPRA Science and Engineering, Limited Partnership SOCPRA SSH s.e.c. : SOCPRA Science and Humanities, Limited Partnership

ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN IN 2012 • Participated in the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January • Participated in the Medical Device Summit in Boston, Massachusetts, in March • Participated in the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) in Anaheim, California, in March • Participated in TechConnect in Santa Clara, California, in June • Participated in the Bio International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, in June • Participated in BioContact in Quebec City, Quebec, in October • Participated in the World Stem Cells Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, in December • Hosted a networking activity between researchers and entrepreneurs in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in October • Hosted a training activity on intellectual property in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in October • Cocktail for SOCPRA’s 5th birthday, in October • Signed one (1) licensing option and five (5) license agreements • Submitted four (4) I2I applications, among which three (3) were granted for $310,000 • Submitted five (5) POP applications, among which three (3) were granted for $473,401 • Accepted eleven (11) new commercialization files stemming from research project of Université de Sherbrooke researchers Legend:

I2I: Idea to Innovation; POP: Proof of Principle

9

10

LICENSING OPTIONS AND LICENSE AGREEMENTS SIGNED

SOCPRA signed one (1) licensing option as well as five (5) licence agreements for certain technologies in its portfolio. For confidentiality and business strategy reasons, the names of some the companies involved cannot be disclosed.

Note: The title of each inventor appears as it appears in the valorization agreement signed at the start of the valorization process. The reader can understand that the careers of several individuals have changed since.

Technology : Inventors:

Company:

Positioning Apparatus for Biomedical Uses Charles Sévigny, Student at the Mechanical Engineering Department, FE Guillaume Chauvette, Student at the Mechanical Engineering Department, FE GCS Medical inc.

Technology:

Automated Surveillance System of Antibiotic Prescriptions

Inventors:

Pr. Louis Valiquette, FMHS

Pr. Froduald Kabanza, FS

Vincent Nault, Student at the Clinical Science Department, FMHS

Technology :

Mathieu Beaudoin, Student at the Computer Science Department, FS

Inventors:

Pr. Pierre-Marc Jodoin, FS

LUMED inc.

Pr. Maxime Descoteaux, FS

Olivier Vaillancourt, Student at the Computer Science Department, FS

Company:

Imeka Solutions inc.

Company:

MICA Software Suite, Medical Imaging Clinical Assistant

11

Technology: 1 ) Inventors:

Thermostable Chitosanase Pr. Ryszard Brzezinski, FS

Mélanie Fortin, Laboratory Technician at the Biology Department, FS

Mina Zitouni, Student at the Biology Department, FS 2 )

12

Technology:

CSNR-Deficient Actinobacteria for the Production of an Enzyme Having Chitosanase Activity

Inventors:

Pr. Ryszard Brzezinski, FS

Marie-Pierre Dubeau, Research Professional at the Microbiology and Infectiology Department, FMHS

1 )

Novel Selective Bradykinin (BK) B1 Peptidic Receptor Antagonists and Uses Thereof

Inventors:

Pr. Domenico Regoli, FMHS

Witold A. Neugebauer, Research Professional at the Pharmacology Department, FMHS

Pr. Fernand Jr. Gobeil, FMHS

Bichoy Gabra, Student at the Pharmacology Department, FMHS

Pr. Pierre Sirois, FMHS 2 )

New Peptidic and Peptidoid Bradykinin B1 Receptor Antagonists and Uses Thereof

Inventors:

Pr. Brigitte Guérin, FMHS

Pr. Fernand Jr. Gobeil, FMHS

Witold A. Neugebauer, Research Professional at the Pharmacology Department, FMHS

Pr. Gérard E. Plante, FMHS Pr. Domenico Regoli, FMHS Pr. Pierre Sirois, FMHS

François Nantel, Assistant Professor, FMHS

Bruno Battistini, Assistant Professor, FS

3 )

Method of Treating Bone or Prostate Cancer with Selective Bradykinin B1 Receptor Antagonists

Congratulations to all inventors for these great discoveries!

Inventors :

Pr. Pierre Sirois, FMSS

Bruno Battistini, Assistant Professor, FS

FE: Faculty of Engineering of the Université de Sherbrooke

François Nantel, Assistant Professor, FMSS

FS: Faculty of Science of the Université de Sherbrooke

Roger Chammas, Research Professional at the University of São Paulo, Brazil

FMHS: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Université de Sherbrooke

Novel Selective Bradykinin (BK) B1 Peptidic Receptor Antagonists and Uses Thereof

All the companies with which SOCPRA has signed licensing options and license agreements are start-ups. Three of them, LUMED, GCS Medical and Imeka Solutions, benefited from the invaluable advice of our partner ACET, (Accélérateur de création d’entreprises technologiques).

Technology: Inventors:

Pr. Domenico Regoli, FMSS

Witold A. Neugebauer, Research Professional at the Pharmacology Department, FMSS

Pr. Fernand Jr. Gobeil, FMSS

Bichoy Gabra, Student at the Pharmacology Department, FMSS

Pr. Pierre Sirois, FMSS

Company:

Nitrox Medical Devices Inc.

Legend:

We wish the best of luck to all the companies in the achievement of their business plan, including funding and commercialization of products and services stemming from these technologies.

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TESTIMONIALS

François Malouin, Ph. D. Full professor Biology Department Faculty of Science

The path that leads from invention to intellectual property protection by way of commercialization, is not an easy one. However, it is a path I am familiar with having several years of experience both in the pharmaceutical and the academic sectors. The SOCPRA team, and in particular Soraya Mahiout (Project Manager), Guy Benoit (Project Director), France Roy (Executive Assistant) and Josée Fortin (President and Chief Executive Officer), really helped me with this process. In fact, I received support on several levels: putting together requests for funding, managing intellectual property, creating a development plan, and negotiating with industrial partners. The team also gave advice and followed-up at every step of the way. All this with a very clear understanding of the goals and restrictions of academia and of the long term commercialization goals.

This highly flexible team is focused on meeting objectives. Indeed, far from representing the bureaucracy caricature often associated with intellectual property management, it quickly became obvious to me that SOCPRA’s philosophy allows to build the best complementarity possible with researchers and inventors by adapting both to their strengths and weaknesses.

SOCPRA’s energetic team ensures file progression and develops a very respectful relationship with researchers and inventors. We feel well supported and counselled. Without this support, many innovative projects with great potential would be at risk of being abandoned.

All the best to SOCPRA!

15

Martin Richter, Ph. D. Associate Professor Medicine Department – Pneumology Service Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Centre de recherche clinique Étienne-Le Bel

16

For several years, my co-inventors and I have been developing a very close collaborative relationship with SOCPRA. This relationship is characterized by ongoing support at every step of the intellectual property protection process up to and including the valorization of this property.

This teamwork brought to fruition a real development partnership between ourselves, the inventors, and SOCPRA. Project Director Chantal Michel’s knowhow and expertise as well as the enthusiasm and will to succeed of Josée Fortin, President and Chief Executive Officer, allowed us to ensure the rapid progression of our technology through the entire valorization process.

SOCPRA’s vitality and effectiveness in looking for collaboration opportunities with industry, coupled with its great understanding of the research context in the academic community, allow us even today to pursue the development of our technology in a mutually beneficial environment. The ongoing support of SOCPRA plays a key role in the innovation that characterizes our projects.

This teamwork allows us ensure our work shines on an international level and contributes to the recognition of the Université de Sherbrooke as an institution that supports innovation in research.

Joël Sirois, Eng., Ph. D. Associate Professor Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering

“SOCPRA’s people are an important resource in the commercial valorization process of our technologies. These individuals counselled us judiciously on the various technological valorization avenues. They guided us and coached us throughout the intellectual property protection process, both during the Operation Freedom Study and the long and arduous process of patent application and acquisition. All through this journey, SOCPRA’s personnel coached and supported us in order to obtain funding from pertinent organizations in a timely fashion.

The involvement of SOCPRA’s employees allowed to transform an academic discovery into an industrial application, by following a strategic and structured technological development process”.

17

NETWORKING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRAINING 18

On October 23, 2012, 130 individuals took part in two events hosted by SOCPRA. The first one was a networking event for researchers and entrepreneurs that gave them an opportunity to discuss the university-enterprise collaboration. In parallel, training modules on intellectual property were presented by various firm specializing in intellectual property. This formula was greatly appreciated by all.

As these photos show, this activity was followed by a cocktail to mark SOCPRA’s 5ft birthday, during which participants continued to network in a festive atmosphere.

SOCPRA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS (December 31, 2012)

SOCPRA’s business is administered by a Board of Directors made up of the following individuals: Manon Laporte Chair of the Board of SOCPRA’s Board of Directors President and Chief Executive Officer, Enviro-Accès Serge Beaudoin Vice-president of SOCPRA’s Board of Directors Chief Operating Officer, AxesNetwork Solutions inc.

Renald Mercier Secretary-treasurer of SOCPRA’s Board of Directors Director of corporate relations, Université de Sherbrooke

STILL TO COME IN 2013 • Participation in the International Forum of Intellectual Property - Quebec (FORPIQ) in Montreal, Quebec, in February • Bio International Convention in Chicago, Illinois, in April • Participation in the Drug Discovery Summit in Boston, Massachusetts, in April • Sustainable Development Forum in Victoriaville, Quebec, in April • Intellectual property for innovation, business intelligence and technology transfer, hosted by the CRIBIQ in Montreal, Quebec, in May • Sustainable Chemistry Summit in Montreal, Quebec, in June • ISSCR StemCell in Boston, Massachusetts, in June

Jean-Maurice Plourde Chair of the Board of Directors of Centre québécois de valorisation des biotechnologies and Fonds Bio-Innovation s.e.c.

• Symposium of the Réseau québécois de recherche sur les médicaments (RQRM) in Montreal, Quebec, in June

Daniel Carreau President and Chief Executive Officer, DataForce

• Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in September

Claude Charest Corporate Director Retired Partner at DELOITTE

• Bio Europe in Vienna, Austria, in November

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T H E F U L L VA L U E O F R E S E A R C H

35 rue Radisson, bureau 100 Sherbrooke (Québec) J1L 1E2 Canada Tel: 819 821-7961 Fax: 819 821-7973 info@socpra.com • www.socpra.com