Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, recently announced that it has raised $11.5M USD in a Series A financing. The oversubscribed round was led by Keiretsu Forum, a global group of investors and included corporate/institutional investors, venture capitalists and existing shareholders.
Toronto biotech startup Adela raises $60-million from top U.S. investors
A leading biotechnology startup from Toronto's University Health Network (UHN) has raised US$60-million form some of the biggest U.S. investors in the sector to help develop its cutting-edge cancer detection technology. Adela Inc. is a diagnostic company that aims to identify multiple types of cancers and other conditions with a simple blood test.
Ripple Therapeutics Research on Polymer-Free Drug Delivery Published in Nature Communications
Ripple Therapeutics Corporation, a clinical stage, ophthalmology-focused developer of novel pharmaceuticals, announced that the article Polymer-Free Corticosteroid Dimer Implants for Controlled and Sustained Drug Delivery was recently published in Nature Communications. The article describes Ripple's Epidel™ technology platform which is founded on a discovery that drugs can be engineered into drug delivery implants without the use of polymers or excipients.
New method can improve drug delivery in implants
An innovative biomaterial discovery by researchers at the University of Toronto in collaboration with Ripple Therapeutics Inc., has established a method that yields better control over drug release profiles in implants and has the potential to disrupt the classical drug delivery market.
New Venture Ontario Fund Drives Economic Growth and Creation of High-Value Jobs
The Ontario government is providing $100 million in venture capital funding to assist high-potential technology companies innovate and grow, boosting the province’s long-term competitiveness, helping to create jobs and driving economic growth. The announcement was made during the Invest Canada 2021 conference by Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
AceAge Appoints John Simmons as New CEO
Kym Anthony, AceAge Inc. Board Chair, has confirmed the appointment of John Simmons as the new CEO of AceAge Inc. effective June 14, 2021.
“John is a proven leader with a track record of delivering outstanding results in senior roles with an extensive background in medical devices,” stated Kym Anthony.
AceAge is an OBIO CAAP 2020 company.
CCRM Enters Regenerative Medicine Partnerships
CCRM, a leader in developing and commercializing regenerative medicine-based technologies and cell and gene therapies, is partnering with several Canadian and international institutions to advance regenerative medicine inventions.
Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. of Canada and Biological E. Limited of India announce the execution of a term sheet for the licensing and collaboration of mRNA vaccine
Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and Biological E. Limited announce the execution of a term sheet, that sets forth the material terms for a definitive licensing and collaboration agreement and also outlines the terms for sale by Providence of up to 30 million doses of Providence's proprietary messenger RNA vaccine, PTX-COVID19-B, to Biological E and other End-Buyers. This sale represents the sale of all the remaining 2021 Providence production, plus a portion of the early 2022 Providence production, after accounting for the first sale of Providence vaccines to the Province of Manitoba, Canada.
VBI Vaccines Granted FDA Fast Track Designation for VBI-1901 for the Treatment of Recurrent GBM
VBI Vaccines Inc. (Nasdaq: VBIV) (VBI), a biopharmaceutical company driven by immunology in the pursuit of powerful prevention and treatment of disease, recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation for VBI-1901, VBI’s cancer vaccine immunotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) patients with first tumor recurrence.
Fusion Pharmaceuticals Enters Into Agreement To Build Radiopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility
Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: FUSN), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines, recently announced it entered a 15-year lease agreement with Hamilton, Ontario-based McMaster University to build a 27,000 square foot current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
Highmark Innovations Inc. Completes a Brokered Private Placement Financing, Closes Acquisition of BrainFx Inc. and Announces Future Acquisitions
Highmark Innovations Inc. is pleased to announce the completion of its brokered private placement financing, along with the execution of a number of strategic acquisitions, including BrainFx Inc., an OBIO CAAP 2016 company.
By adding the technology developed by BrainFx team, Highmark now has a complete, bookended solution for the market. BrainFx designs and develops mobile and virtual neurological performance testing software applications, as well as collects normative neurofunctional data.
Israeli duo’s early Alzheimer’s detection test brings cure one step closer
Toronto-based biomedical engineers Eliav Shaked and Roy Kirshon are working on a quick, non-invasive retinal diagnostic for patients decades away from showing symptoms of dementia. As business partners in an artificial intelligence medical imaging start-up called RetiSpec, they’ve developed a new way for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the main cause of dementia among older adults.
In 2019, the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization chose RetiSpec as one of several high-potential health science companies for its Capital Access Advisory Program.
PROTXX and Datwyler Demonstrate Dry-Electrode-Based Neurostimulation
Menlo Park, California and Calgary, Alberta based precision healthcare technology pioneer PROTXX and global elastomer component leader Datwyler Group recently announced a transformational breakthrough in wearable neurostimulation devices.
New Partnership Between Aridhia and Replica Analytics Powers Rapid, Secure and Compliant Use of Health Data
Aridhia and Replica Analytics announced a new partnership integrating the data synthesis solution from Replica Analytics with the Digital Research Environment (DRE) from Aridhia. The combined offering gives clients a powerful capability to rapidly provision and make data available in a responsible manner, while allowing data custodians to meet their regulatory obligations.
Zucara Therapeutics Successfully Completes Single and Multiple Ascending Dose Phase 1 Trial of ZT-01
Zucara Therapeutics Inc., a diabetes life sciences company developing the first once-daily therapeutic to prevent insulin-induced hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels), recently announced that it has successfully completed a Phase 1 study evaluating single and multiple ascending doses of ZT-01.
OBIO's Business Development Skills Program Featured in Canadian Healthcare Technology
The Ontario government is investing more than $5 million to train and mentor up to 150 health sciences professionals on how to secure investments for their innovative medical solutions and bring them to market. The project, led by the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization, will support the creation of new pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other medical tools.
OBIO Member Companies Invested in by NorthSpring Capital Partners
Several OBIO member companies (Vena Medical, NERv Technology, AmacaThera) were mentioned in a recent press release published by private equity firm NorthSpring Capital Partners and made the cut in the 12 healthtech companies to watch!
AI & Health Opportunities in Germany and Ontario
Save the date on June 8, 2021, for the upcoming AI & Health opportunities in Germany & Ontario event! Jointly organized by the Government of Ontario, the Cyberforum and de:hub Karlsruhe (Germany). The event will focus on supporting AI & Health companies in building connections with potential partners, clients, channels, or resellers in Ontario and Germany.
The Government of Ontario is accepting applications for a virtual export business mission to BIO-Asia Taiwan
This year BIO Asia–Taiwan 2021 Online + Onsite, to be held in Taipei, July 21-25, with early access from July 19, aims to build on the success of last year to again bring together biotechnology and pharmaceutical executives and investors from North America, Europe and Asia to explore business opportunities with Taiwan’s emerging biotech sector with a unique format of online and live settings.
Microbix Announces Closing of Offering and Private Placement - $6.9 Million of Gross Proceeds Received
Microbix Biosystems Inc., a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces it has closed its previously-announced bought-deal public offering and concurrent private placement.