Archive for 2020
Bioscience Technology Program at Holland College Receives National Award
Holland College’s Bioscience Technology program has received a Gold Program Excellence Award from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). The award recognizes a program that is innovative, portable, sustainable, and effective.
CICan presents eight awards annually to celebrate the contributions of individuals and highlight the role colleges and institutions play in Canada’s social, cultural and economic development. The awards are distributed in partnership with TD Insurance. Usually the awards are presented during the organization’s national conference, but due to the pandemic, they were announced online earlier this week.
Holland College’s two-year Bioscience Technology program is the only one of its kind in the region and has strong ties with local and regional members of the biotechnology and bioscience industry. Students participate in six weeks of on the job training and complete an independent research project.
Alpha Cognition Inc. Announces Granted EU Patents and Orphan Drug Designation for its Progranulin Platform
Vancouver, BC (Canada) May 12, 2020 –Alpha Cognition Inc. (ACI) [formerly Neurodyn Cognition], a clinical stage biotherapeutics company, announced today it has been granted two EU patents (EP2249861A1 and EP3009143A1) relating to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using progranulin. Additionally, the FDA, has granted ACI Orphan Drug Designation for its progranulin product platform for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Alpha Cognition operates its laboratory facilities in the Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster, Canada.
Alpha-602, progranulin, is a protein that has a potent ability to protect neurons that are under stress. In pre-clinical studies, ACI has demonstrated that progranulin can correct the cellular defects caused by the altered patterns of proteins in motor neurons. ACI is developing a specific form of progranulin, called Alpha-602, for the treatment of ALS patients.
ACI’s growing list of granted patents now includes two more in Europe. These patents relate to methods and compositions for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using progranulin, and methods of treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using effectors, or combinations of effectors, that modify progranulin expression.
The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) provides special incentives for the development of treatments for rare diseases, such as ALS. For a drug to qualify for orphan-drug designation both the drug and the disease must meet certain specified criteria. In Q1 of 2020, the FDA granted orphan-drug designation to Alpha-602 for the treatment of ALS. Alpha-602, is currently advancing through pre-clinical development and toxicology programs.
ACI’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Denis Kay, stated, “These granted patents, together with the orphan-drug designation, mark significant milestones in the clinical development path of Alpha-602 for the treatment of ALS.”
For additional information about the Company and its research programs, visit the Company’s website at http://www.alphacognition.com.
About Alpha Cognition Inc. – Alpha Cognition Inc. (ACI) is engaged in neurological disease research and has developed programs in Alzheimer’s Disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
- Alpha-1062 is a patented new chemical entity that has shown efficacy in preclinical and recently completed human clinical trials. It is being developed as a new generation acetylcholine esterase inhibitor (AChEI) with minimal gastrointestinal side effects and new routes of administration. Alpha-1062’s active metabolites are differentiated from donepezil and rivastigmine in that they may sensitize neuronal nicotinic receptors, most notably the alpha-7 subtype, which is known to have a positive effect on cognition.
- Alpha-602 (Progranulin) is a natural protein that is expressed in several cell types in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues. Alpha-602 regulates cell survival and certain inflammatory processes. The protein plays a major role in regulating lysosomal function and microglial responses to disease. Its use in the treatment of ALS has been patented by ACI.
For additional information about this press release contact: rcarpenter@alphacognition.com
For additional information about the company contact: info@alphacognition.com
Or write to:
Investor Relations
Alpha Cognition Inc.
439 Helmcken Street,
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2E6
Government provides tariff relief to importers of certain medical goods
Republished from the Department of Finance, Government of Canada.
May 6, 2020 – The Government of Canada continues to take immediate, significant and decisive action to protect Canadians’ health and safety, and to support Canadian jobs and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, announced action to further ensure Canadians have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and other necessary medical equipment. To keep Canadians safe, the government is waiving tariffs on certain medical goods, including PPE such as masks and gloves. This will reduce the cost of imported PPE for Canadian businesses, which face tariffs of up to 18 per cent in some instances, help protect workers, and ensure our supply chains can keep functioning well.
This action complements the government’s ongoing efforts to increase domestic PPE production by Canadian industry. Tariff relief for these goods will remain in place for as long as necessary to deal with the COVID-19 crisis.
Today’s announcement is part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan – a comprehensive plan that is supporting Canadian workers and Canadian businesses, and ensuring Canada’s economy remains stable and ready to rebound when the time is right.
Clara Deacon appointed as Director of Communications and Marketing
The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Clara Deacon as Director of Communications and Marketing.
Clara will be responsible for leading the communications and marketing functions for both the PEI BioAlliance and Emergence (Canada’s Bioscience Business Incubator).
Clara comes to the PEI BioAlliance with experience leading communications and marketing in both the private and public sectors, with a strong background in communications planning and strategy, media relations, reputation management and research storytelling.
Most recently in her role as Manager of Institutional Communications at the University of Calgary, Clara was responsible for the execution of large scale institutional announcements, as well as the development communications strategies to deliver on key objectives of programs and services. Clara has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University.
Since 2005, the PEI BioAlliance has coordinated the development and growth of the province’s bioscience cluster and established the conditions for business success. The cluster creates high-quality, Island-based jobs in the areas of human, animal, and fish health and nutrition. The PEI BioAlliance is a partnership of 60 businesses, academic and research institutions, and federal and provincial government agencies, dedicated to establishing the bioscience sector as a key pillar in the economic foundation of the province and Atlantic Canada.
Alpha Cognition Inc. Receives FDA/PMDA Regulatory Guidance for Alpha-1062 Alzheimer’s Therapy
April 30, 2020 – Alpha Cognition Inc. (ACI) [formerly Neurodyn Cognition] today announced that in a pre-Investigational New Drug (Pre-IND) meeting, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) agreed upon a clinical and regulatory pathway for the approval of Alpha-1062, a patented new chemical entity, to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The FDA has suggested that a single pivotal trial, scheduled for mid 2021, may be sufficient to obtain marketing approval. ACI also met with Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) earlier this year, who also agreed to consider a similar pathway for approval in Japan.
This follows an earlier press release announcing ACI’s partnership with Linical, a Japanese based contract research organization who will provide regulatory consulting and strategic development services, including post-marketing studies, for Alpha-1062 in Japan.
ACI’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Mrs.Colleen Johns, commented that, “We are pleased with the responses we received from the FDA and the PMDA” She went on to say, “With the confirmation from the FDA that our suggested pathway is acceptable, we are well-positioned to progress the program quickly and efficiently to approval.”
Alpha-1062 is being developed in both an oral tablet and nasal spray format. Clinical trials have demonstrated that, the intranasal formulation showed a decrease of over 90% in GI related adverse events compared to an approved AChEI (Razadyne®) at similar dose levels.
For additional information about the Company and its research programs, visit the Company’s website at http://www.alphacognition.com.
About Alpha Cognition Inc. – Alpha Cognition Inc. (ACI) is engaged in neurological disease research and has developed programs in Alzheimer’s Disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
- Alpha-1062 is a patented new chemical entity that has shown efficacy in preclinical and recently completed human clinical trials. It is being developed as a new generation acetylcholine esterase inhibitor (AChEI) with minimal gastrointestinal side effects and new routes of administration. Alpha-1062’s active metabolites are differentiated from donepezil and rivastigmine in that they may sensitize neuronal nicotinic receptors, most notably the alpha-7 subtype, which may have a positive effect on the disease.
- Alpha-602 (Progranulin) is a natural protein that is expressed in several cell types in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues. Alpha-602 regulates cell survival and certain inflammatory processes. The protein plays a major role in regulating lysosomal function and microglial responses. Its use in the treatment of ALS has been patented by ACI and is being investigated in preclinical models.
For additional information about this press release contact: rcarpenter@alphacognition.com
For additional information about the company contact: info@alphacognition.com
Podcast: Interview with PEI BioAlliance CEO Rory Francis
Listen to the Growing Pains Podcast with Matt George & David Campbell as they interview Prince Edward Island BioAlliance CEO Rory Francis on the growth and success of the PEI bioscience cluster. The podcast series is focused on economic development in Atlantic Canada.
“Not a whole lot – if any [podcasts are] about economic development in Atlantic Canada. Thousands of people across the region – economic developers, local government, politicians, community leaders – involved every day trying to attract population and grow the local economy and not a lot of content to help them do it.” David Campbell
Read more about why they decided to launch this series here.
Listen to the Podcast interview with Rory Francis here:
PEI bioscience industry answers the call to battle COVID-19
As essential service staff work long hours and families distance themselves from others by hunkering down in their homes, bioscience companies and their employees are flexing their research, development and manufacturing muscle to help in the fight against COVID-19.
“Islanders will be amazed at the range and sophistication of the technologies that our bioscience companies are using to assist in the fight to detect, contain, and treat the virus and its impacts,” said Rory Francis, Chief Executive Officer, Prince Edward Island BioAlliance. “While it’s not business as usual for any business owner, our bioscience cluster members and other specialized manufacturers are not only maintaining their regular operations, but are literally part of Canada’s response to the crisis.”
PEI companies and research teams are developing protective equipment and medical devices, products to strengthen human resistance to diseases, technologies to test if someone is or has been infected by COVID-19, and technologies to give specialists an online view for remote diagnoses. Eleven examples are provided below.
- PEI’s largest bioscience company BioVectra is manufacturing critical ingredients necessary for COVID-19 diagnostic kits across Canada. They are also producing surface and hand sanitizer for PEI’s health system and other essential services in need. The company’s existing fermentation, biological protein testing and manufacturing capability could also support future vaccine development and other drug therapies.
- Summerside’s Quannessence Skincare has created QuannShield, a pocket-sized hand sanitizer that’s a Health Canada-compliant sanitizing spray. Recognizing that hand sanitizers can lead to dry hands, Quannessence has included in its formulation, skin-hydrating characteristics making the product unique compared to other sanitizers. Their products are available in Murphy’s Pharmacies across PEI, and from the soon-to-be online store www.shopquannessence.com.
- Charlottetown’s Avivagen is better known for its animal health technologies, such as its OxC Beta supplement that boosts immunity and reduces inflammation in livestock and companion animals, minimizing the need for antibiotic use. Now, Avivagen is evaluating OxC Beta’s potential to boost the human immune system and help people afflicted by respiratory problems from lung inflammation due to COVID-19 or other illnesses.
- AffinityImmuno in Charlottetown is part of an international consortium currently testing a rapid diagnostic test to screen for the virus in bodily fluids. Additionally, AffinityImmuno is developing a lab test to identify biomarkers that indicate protection against infection or reinfection by COVID-19.
- Charlottetown’s Fieldetect Inc, co-founded by UPEI professors, recently received $355K from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) to modify its handheld LabAnywhere technology for the COVID-19 cause. Initially designed to quickly detect viruses in animals, the Fieldetect technology shows promise for testing viruses like COVID-19 in humans.
- Charlottetown’s Somru BioScience is drawing on its antibody platform technology to assist in developing therapeutic and diagnostic solutions for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Their experience in immunoassay development will enable them to provide diagnostic and research solutions for future infectious disease outbreaks. Somru’s plans include shortening the development time of diagnostic kits for future infectious diseases by 50 percent.
- TerraVerdae Bioworks in Charlottetown is leveraging its core capabilities in functional biomaterials and bioactives to develop enhanced antiviral protection products for front line workers working in infectious disease response.
- In Central Bedeque, Top Dog Manufacturing makes protective clothing and curtains that can be used in all kinds of industries, like food processing and hospitality. Since Top Dog’s products are health-safe, their personal protective equipment is now in demand for use in hospitals and long-term care facilities as well as by paramedics, firefighters, dentists and other frontline workers worldwide.
- Summerside’s Tronosjet Maintenance Inc (TJM) has turned its 3D printing, manufacturing and design expertise toward producing titanium dividers (splitter manifolds), so that in emergency situations, multiple patients can receive breathing assistance from a single ventilator. TJM has also developed a 3D printed rubber strap to assist in converting sleep apnea masks for treating patients before they need a ventilator. Working with Respiratory Therapy experts in PEI and Alberta, in a project facilitated by the BioAlliance, both products are ready to be produced and shipped while TJM waits for federal manufacturing licensing.
- VetNOW‘s telemedicine technology has received new prominence under pandemic conditions, allowing local veterinarians to reach veterinary specialists at a distance through their online platform, providing improved care for food animals and companion animals. A new partnership with Elanco Animal Health has made the VetNOW’s technology available for free for two months for veterinarians who enroll in Canada and the United States.
- Faculty and staff at UPEI‘s Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering are designing and producing personal protective equipment that can be sterilized and reused to keep provincial healthcare workers safe.
The BioAlliance has reported that over 1300 of 1500 private sector employees in the sector are working, as essential businesses in the bioscience sector have carefully developed protocols and screening tools that have allowed their workforce to continue to work safely on the job.
“Islanders can be proud of the collective efforts of PEI’s bioscience community in helping Islanders and Canadians get through the current COVID-19 situation and better prepare us to prevent and respond to future infectious disease outbreaks,” added Francis.
PEI bioscience company gets $355K to adapt technology to detect COVID-19
Dr. William Whelan and Dr. Andrew Trivett
A research team led by the University of Prince Edward Island has been awarded a research grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to adapt a hand-held, portable technology to detect whether someone carries the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. The research team is co-led by Dr. William Whelan (Physics, UPEI) and Dr. Andrew Trivett (Sustainable Design Engineering, UPEI) and includes Dr. Marya Ahmed (Chemistry, UPEI), Dr. Javier Sanchez and Dr. Dan Hurnik (Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI), Dr. Solke De Boer (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, retired), and Dr. Mark Redmond (PEI BioAlliance).
The patent-pending technology was developed by UPEI researchers for the detection of viruses in farm animals. Current methods to detect viruses require trained technicians to process samples in a central testing lab. The UPEI technology was developed to allow biological samples to be literally analysed anywhere—in a barn, field, or on a tractor—without pristine laboratory conditions. The researchers will apply this rugged LabAnywhere™ technology to detecting human diseases.
Since the call went out for applications to CIHR’s Rapid Call for Coronavirus Research, COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The global need for reliable, rapidly deployable detection methods is more important than ever.
“We began developing this technology several years ago with the goal of helping farmers manage livestock and crop diseases better,” said Dr. Trivett. “We are really excited to see our work enter the fight against this new threat to our communities.”
“When we were notified of the award, I was in self-isolation, after being tested for COVID-19,” said Dr. Whelan. “I received my test result, which was negative, two days later. With this funding, we will work hard to deliver an on-site, rapid test for coronaviruses, with results in an hour.”
The research project will use easily handled, safe viruses from the animal world for initial testing to validate the methods and move to tests using human viruses once initial trials are complete. With support from Synapse, Innovation PEI, the PEI BioAlliance, and SpringBoard Atlantic, the inventors have created a spin-out company, Fieldetect Inc. to commercialize the technology.
Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass, UPEI’s Interim Vice-President Academic and Research said, “COVID-19 is an unprecedented global public health risk. We are thankful to CIHR for expanding this important funding to allow our interdisciplinary research and development team at UPEI to test this diagnostic technology that will have an impact around the world.”
This project is one of 96 across the country funded by the Government of Canada in rapid response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 evolves quickly, and protecting the health of Canadians is our priority,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health. “The additional teams of researchers receiving funding today will help Canada quickly generate the evidence we need to contribute to the global understanding of the COVID-19 illness. Their essential work will contribute to the development of effective vaccines, diagnostics, treatments, and public health responses.”
This research has been supported from its earliest days by Synapse and its partners in the Springboard Atlantic Network, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Innovation PEI. Synapse is UPEI’s independently incorporated commercialization, technology transfer, and industry-engagement company, created to develop stronger links between UPEI research and industry sectors, to encourage exciting new levels of idea generation, technology evaluation, technology transfer, commercialization, and spin-off company formation.
Since mid-2018, the Fieldetect Inc. team has benefitted from commercialization coaching by industry and regulatory experts at Emergence Bio-Business Incubator. Operated by the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, Emergence pairs its clients with mentors who have a proven track record in related fields, and provides services designed to help companies like Fieldetect Inc. succeed in getting their products to market.
CATC wins innovation award
Souris-based Center for Aquaculture Technologies Canada (CATC) earned a top award during the Eastern Prince Edward Island Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual banquet for Business & Community Excellence Awards.
In Vernon River on Friday, March 6, Dr. Debbie Plouffe, the company’s Executive Vice President of Research, accepted the Chamber’s 2020 Innovation and Advancement Award. That category, sponsored by Innovation PEI, recognizes the achievements of a Chamber member company that “successfully incorporates a new idea, device or method, and/or utilized the application of better solutions to meet new requirements.”
Congratulations to the CATC team!
London calling: Island animal health companies explore international opportunities
Led by the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, a delegation of Island-based animal health and nutrition companies flew to the United Kingdom for today’s opening of the Animal Health Investment Europe 2020 forum, which runs until February 26, 2020.
While in London, company executives and organization representatives from PEI’s bioscience cluster will explore opportunities to expand markets, establish partnerships, and raise capital to fuel expansions. The BioAlliance and Innovation PEI will promote PEI for its concentration of expertise in animal health and nutrition product development and commercialization. Exports of cluster companies’ innovative products also enhance PEI’s importance as an active participant in the global market for animal health and nutrition products.
“By attending this forum, we will also identify companies that are poised for investment and expansion into North American markets, and will introduce them to the advantages of a PEI location,” said Rory Francis, Chief Executive Officer, PEI BioAlliance. “Specifically, we are seeking European companies and multinationals that see strategic value in a Prince Edward Island location because of our cluster’s science and technology capabilities and our strength in assisting early stage companies in commercializing their products.”
Another reason for attending the forum is to further heighten industry awareness of VetHealth Global 2021. June 22 to 24, 2021, will mark the eighth time that the PEI BioAlliance has drawn international companies and investors to Charlottetown for VetHealth Global, its signature business conference on veterinary health and nutrition. Every two years, more than 200 global industry executives, regulators and investors converge on the Island to explore partnering opportunities, discuss trends and challenges affecting companion and food animals, and tour PEI’s cluster facilities.
“Opportunities for an early stage company like ours to connect with the global network of decision-makers in the animal health sector are invaluable,” said Dr. Andrew Trivett, CEO of Fieldetect, a UPEI spinout that is developing an on-farm diagnostic tool for early identification of virus-based diseases for swine and other livestock applications.
PEI’s delegation includes representatives from: BioTraceIT, The Center for Aquaculture Technologies, FieldEtect, MicroSintesis, Simini Technologies, VetNow, Natural Products Canada, Synapse, Innovation PEI and the PEI BioAlliance.