R & D NEWS Merck invests in Montréal’s life sciences research sector
From left to right: Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director, MHI Research Institute, Dr. Jacques Turgeon, Director, CHUM Research Centre, Mr. Cyril Schiever, President and Managing Director, Merck Canada, Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, Executive Director, RI-MUHC and Mr. Martin LeBlanc, Vice-Chairman of the Board, Montréal InVivo. (CNW Group/MERCK) Merck Canada announces it will invest $12.5 million to fund research at three university-affiliated and hospital-based research centres. The three centres that will receive funding are: • the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC); • the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM); • and the Montréal Heart Institute Research Centre (MHI). “Merck is dedicated to supporting Québec’s life sciences community, and we are proud to work in collaboration with the industry, government and academia,” said Cyril Schiever, president and managing director, Merck Canada. “We believe initiatives like investing in top research institutes that conduct innovative basic and translational research are one of the best ways to improve R&D productivity and stimulate innovation in Québec.” “Montreal is a leader in the life sciences research sector in North America thanks to the presence of world-class research institutions such as those who will benefit from this announcement,” added Martin Leblanc, vice-chairman of the board,
Montréal InVivo. “Partners like Merck Canada help ensure that future discoveries by local scientists will keep impacting the lives of patients not only in Québec, but around the world.” The funding brings the total Merck investments to date in the province to approximately $60 million. In March, Merck announced a $35 million investment in the Merck Lumira Biosciences Fund, as its primary investor and only pharmaceutical industry partner. The fund, established by Merck in collaboration with Lumira Capital, Teralys Capital and other partners, provides investment capital to support early stage life science innovation in Québec. Prior to that Merck invested $6.8 million in AmorChem, a Québec life sciences venture capital fund, to increase the commercial potential of quality academic research carried out in Québec, and $5 million in the Québec Consortium for Drug Discovery (CQDM), which funds projects for the development of innovative tools and technologies that accelerate the drug discovery process. To see this story online visit http://biotechnologyfocus.ca/?p=2874
IRCM researchers discover nerve cell’s internal clock A group of researchers at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) have discovered the internal clock of a nerve cell, used during embryonic development. The study, led by Dr. Frédéric Charron, was published in the scientific
journal Neuron. The discovery of the internal clock was made in collaboration with Dr. Alyson Fournier’s laboratory at the Montreal Neurological Institute.
6 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOCUS December 2012/January 2013
continued on page 7
Clinical Trials & Patents n Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (Belleville, ON) has discontinued its Phase 3 clinical trial with Urocidin™ in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The trial, a randomized, active-controlled, open-label, multi-centre study with a blinded endpoint assessment designed to compare Urocidin™ with mitomycin C in the intravesical treatment of patients with BCG recurrent or refractory nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer, was being run by the company’s global licensing partner, Endo Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Endo Health Solutions. The trial has not been recruiting at the expected rate and, after recent discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the current clinical trial design, Endo has decided to end the study before its scheduled completion. Endo and Bioniche are jointly considering potential next steps for the program. n Allon Therapeutics Inc. (Vancouver, BC) announces that patient treatment has been completed in the multinational pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial that is evaluating the company’s lead product davunetide as a potential treatment for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rapidly progressing and fatal degenerative brain disease. Allon expects to disclose top line data from this pivotal study in the second half of December. n Bayer Inc. (Toronto, ON) and the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), a joint Institute of Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation and McMaster University, have initiated the COMPASS trial, the largest clinical study of the oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban to-date. COMPASS is a Phase 3 trial that will investigate the prevention of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). The COMPASS study will assess the potential of rivaroxaban to provide additional prevention of cardiovascular events to patients when added to an antiplatelet therapy, as well as investigating rivaroxaban and an antiplatelet as single treatments. The study will be conducted in collaboration with the PHRI and will enroll approximately 20,000 patients from more than 450 sites across more than 25 countries. In Canada, the study will enroll approximately 2,250 patients from more than 45 sites and will represent a significant investment in Canadian-led research over the next several years.
For more R&D news visit http://biotechnologyfocus.ca/?cat=71
