AmorChem is proud to announce a new investment in a project from the Research Center of the CHU de Québec – Université Laval. The venture capital fund, which identified the project in close collaboration with SOVAR, a company that promotes university research, will invest in work aimed at developing Drs’ invention. Jean Gosselin and Serge Rivest targeting the NOD2 receptor, an important component of the proper functioning of monocytes.
“Dr. Rivest, who will be involved in the maturation of the technology, is interested in the role of innate immunity in diseases of the central nervous system. Its expertise in this area, in particular on NOD2, a receptor expressed by myeloid cells (including monocytes) and by microglia, has made it possible to demonstrate that an agonist of it plays an important role in the control of certain functions. monocytes. He also showed that activation of NOD2 in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease has important implications for the elimination of circulating beta amyloid from the vascular system. He uses an imaging tool which makes it possible to follow in real time the renewed phagocytic activity of monocytes following the administration of a small agonist molecule of NOD2 and this has catalyzed our interest for his project “, explains Inès Holzbaur , managing partner at AmorChem.
“The beta amyloid and treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease focusing on its elimination and that of the plaques it forms have so far not met with the expected success. However, Dr. Rivest brings a crucial nuance by targeting, not the accumulation of amyloid and the formation of plaques in the central nervous system, but rather its elimination by the peripheral innate immune system. A small molecule capable of acting at the peripheral immune level would have a new approach that would certainly generate a lot of interest, “said Kevin McBride, chief scientist and partner at AmorChem.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a recognized medical need and new innovative approaches will be needed to successfully treat it. We propose to use cerebral amyloid angiopathy in order to obtain a proof of concept. This angiopathy has symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease: it causes cognitive impairment in more than 30% of people aged 65 and over, while increasing their risk of stroke. A NOD2 agonist molecule could potentially be useful in treating these patients, ”said Elizabeth Douville, managing partner at AmorChem.
“Université Laval warmly congratulates Dr. Gosselin and Dr. Rivest for the quality and relevance of their discovery, which will allow us to take an additional step to treat people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The University is also proud to collaborate once again with AmorChem, a player of choice for the maturation of technologies and the creation of young biotechnology companies, “added Eugénie Brouillet, Vice-President, Research, Creation and innovation from Laval University.
“We are very proud of this announcement and would like to congratulate Dr. Serge Rivest, whose research has shown to be most promising, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. This venture capital investment is a good illustration of SOVAR’s role as a catalyst for scientific innovation to facilitate their path to commercialization and transfer to society, “said Paule De Blois, President and CEO of SOVAR.
“This announcement demonstrates the excellence and innovation of researchers at the CHU de Québec Research Center who, day after day, are pushing the boundaries of science to the benefit of patients. Once again, this discovery demonstrates the innovative nature of world-class work taking place in our research center, in collaboration with leading partners such as Laval University, SOVAR and AmorChem, “concluded Mr. Martin Beaumont , President and CEO of the CHU.
AmorChem (www.amorchem.com) is a leader in startup venture capital launched in 2011 and located in Montreal. As an expert, the fund uses its deep understanding of basic science to unlock its therapeutic potential, and focuses its know-how in translational research in accelerating the discovery and development of drugs covering a broad spectrum of diseases. The fund also capitalizes on its expertise in venture capital as well as on its entrepreneurial experience in order to bring out the first sparks of business creation, and shapes them in collaboration with its partners so that they form the next generation of companies. of biotechnology. With capital exceeding $ 85M, AmorChem has funded more than 30 university projects and started several biotechnology companies from the fruits of this innovative research.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "About SOVAR“data-reactid =” 33 “>About SOVAR
For almost 20 years, SOVAR’s mission has been to act as a driver of economic and social development by accelerating the emergence, development and deployment of responsible technological and social innovations stemming from cutting-edge research. To date, SOVAR’s activities have created more than 40 companies and more than 750 jobs. In addition SOVAR has invested directly in around twenty companies. To find out more: www.sovar.com
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "About Laval University“data-reactid =” 35 “>About Laval University
Driven by a spirit of innovation and the quest for excellence, Université Laval is one of the leading research universities in Canada, ranking 7th with funds of $ 404 million allocated to research last year. Leader in distance education, it has more than 1,600 teachers, nearly 2,200 lecturers and other teaching and research staff who share their knowledge with more than 43,000 students, 25% of whom are enrolled in graduate studies. The University values diversity and is proud of the members of its community, who come from 120 countries. The oldest French-speaking university in North America, Laval University has trained more than 312,000 people to date, each participating in their own way in the advancement of societies. www.ulaval.ca
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "About the Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval“data-reactid =” 37 “>About the Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Largest French-speaking research center in North America , the Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval brings together more than five hundred researchers in five sites. With its research revenues of nearly $ 110 million, it ranks second in Quebec and ninth in Canada in Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals 2019. The CRCHU was also awarded the “Exceptional” rating by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRSQ) at the end of its most recent evaluation, in 2018. “data-reactid =” 38 “> Largest research center French-speaking in North America, the Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval brings together over five hundred researchers in five sites. With its research revenues of nearly $ 110 million, it ranks second in Quebec and ninth canadian Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals 2019. The CRCHU was also awarded the “Exceptional” rating by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRSQ) after its most recent evaluation, in 2018.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "See the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200604005389/en/“data-reactid =” 39 “>See the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200604005389/en/
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Contacts“data-reactid =” 40 “>Contacts
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "AmorChem
Elizabeth Douville
Founder and managing partner
T: 514-518-6358
E: [email protected] “data-reactid =” 41 “>AmorChem
Elizabeth Douville
Founder and managing partner
T: 514-518-6358
E: [email protected]
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Inès Holzbaur
Founder and managing partner
T: 514-513-7454
E: [email protected] “data-reactid =” 42 “> Inès Holzbaur
Founder and managing partner
T: 514-513-7454
E: [email protected]
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Laval University
Jean-François Huppé
Telephone: 418 656-7785
Cell: 418 932-1353
[email protected] “data-reactid =” 43 “>Laval University
Jean-François Huppé
Telephone: 418 656-7785
Cell: 418 932-1353
[email protected]
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "SOVAR
Audrey Dumoulin
Marketing Advisor and Community Manager
T: 514 791-4588
E: [email protected] “data-reactid =” 44 “>SOVAR
Audrey Dumoulin
Marketing Advisor and Community Manager
T: 514 791-4588
E: [email protected]
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Research center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval
Kim Tardif
Communication advisor
418 525-4387
[email protected] “data-reactid =” 45 “>Research center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval
Kim Tardif
Communication advisor
418 525-4387
[email protected]
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