BUSINESS corner Feldan Therapeutics closes $12.5-million Series A financing round Feldan Therapeutics closes a $12.5 million Series A financing round led by GC, with the participation of Stonebridge Ventures, a South Korean investor, Anges Québec Capital, including members of Anges Québec, and existing investors. Feldan is focused on the development of its pipeline of therapeutic applications based on the Feldan Shuttle, its proprietary peptide-based intracellular delivery technology. The platform has been successfully used on several cell types – including human primary cells which are the center of most cell therapies – and allowed the delivery of nucleases, transcription factors, and antibodies. The Shuttle can overcome delivery obstacles in the context of therapeutic use by providing a safe and efficient approach that alleviates manipulation complexity and that is associated with low regulatory burden. Feldan Therapeutics’ mission is to develop
regenerative medicine therapeutic applications based on the Feldan Shuttle platform. Feldan Therapeutics has generated a pipeline of clinical applications delineated in two distinct programs, the Natural Killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy and intracellular antibody delivery, that take advantage of the unique characteristics of the Shuttle. The Feldan Shuttle enables highly efficient delivery of proteins and peptides inside mammalian cells, both in vivo and ex vivo. Proceeds from the current financing round will support preclinical work that will enable the transfer of the technology to clinical trials. “Our team is thrilled to work with investors and collaborators who share our belief that intracellular delivery of proteins is the future of medicine,” says Francois-Thomas Michaud, chief executive officer and cofounder of Feldan. “We are also delighted to extend our relationship with key partners
who will support us in bringing the Feldan Shuttle to clinical trial”. GC is a long-time leader in South Korean public health and is a world-class stakeholder in the biopharmaceutical industry. This strategic investment complements the current collaboration between the GC group and Feldan in the development of NK cell-based therapeutics. “We believe that the Feldan Shuttle has the potential to accelerate the development of next-generation therapies”, says Yong Jun Huh, the chief executive officer of GC. “As a long-term strategic investor, we are very excited to make an investment in this potentially groundbreaking technology and best-in-class management team”. To see this story online visit https://biotechnologyfocus.ca/feldantherapeutics-closes-12-5-million-series-afinancing-round/
Setting eyes on new heights: CDRD announces first-ever cohort of their Executive Institute CDRD Academy ExecutiveInstitue Group
The Centre for Drug Research and Development, Canada’s national life sciences venture, announces the first cohort of the CDRD Academy’s Executive Institute. Earlier this year, CDRD and Pfizer Canada announced the launch of the Executive Institute under the umbrella of The CDRD Academy. The Institute is a 10-month, focused executive development program open to a limited number of senior-level life sciences professionals annually. It was made possible by a $1M contribution by Pfizer Canada. After reviewing dozens of applications from across Canada, the Adjudication Committee has selected a cohort of diverse, talented, and forward-thinking individuals that is gender balanced, and represents a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. “The core of any business is people and supporting and growing our pool of highly-qualified personnel is critical to drive 8 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOCUS October/November 2018
Canada’s health sciences sector,” says Gordon C. McCauley, president and CEO of CDRD. “Through the CDRD Academy’s Post-Graduate and Undergraduate Institutes, we have seen tremendous success over the past 10 years in helping high-potential scientists be more commercially minded. But, with the addition of the Executive Institute to the CDRD Academy, we are now extending our work to also help high-potential business people lead Canada’s science-based businesses of tomorrow; and ensure Canada has the management talent it needs to lead the life sciences world.” The CDRD Executive Institute program is delivered in collaboration with the not-forprofit Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The program has been custom-designed and aims to combine researched and proven best practices/principles with targeted industry topics to take participants on a leadership journey. It will blend in-depth assessments, workshops, simulations, challenging assignments and executive coaching.
‘’The CDRD Executive Institute is off to a very strong start,’’ says John Helou, president, Pfizer Canada. ‘’This first cohort of life science executives exemplifies the type of leaders needed for the industry to reach its full potential. We are pleased to help meet the development needs expressed by life sciences industry stakeholders across the country, and to be able to count on the leadership of CDRD to implement concrete measures that will increase the innovative skill level of this vital industry. We are confident that the tailored training and coaching will contribute to the success of many life science organizations in Canada, which is critical for the development of new treatments for unmet medical needs’’. This course offers a unique opportunity that will further the life sciences community within Canada and potentially bring the sector and consequently, the economy to new heights. The first face-to-face session will happen in Vancouver September 12-13, 2018, with additional workshops to be held in Montreal and Toronto throughout the Winter and Spring 2019. To see this story online visit https://biotechnologyfocus.ca/ setting-eyes-on-new-heights-cdrdannounces-first-ever-cohort-of-theirexecutive-institute/
