Montréal (Québec), July 14, 2020 – The biopharmaceutical research consortium CQDM is pleased to announce the launch of a project valued at over $300,000 to support the development of a molecular test designed to assess, among others, the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. The initiative proposed by MRM Proteomics Inc. is made possible with $158,000 in funding from the ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation. In turn, the company will invest $80,000 to ensure the success of the project, which also benefits from resources donated by the Jewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Centre. The project was selected among numerous proposals submitted to the CQDM as part of a call for priority solutions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The scientific community in Quebec proactively searched for solutions as soon as the pandemic broke out. We decided to allocate financial resources to further support research and to achieve a better understanding of the virus. Through its collaboration with the Segal Cancer Centre, MRM Proteomics will help determine the body’s response to the virus and adapt the care trajectory for COVID-19 patients. We are proud to support this initiative which exemplifies the strength of a collaborative approach in solving technically complex problems,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation and Minister responsible for Lanaudière.
Drawing on the expertise of Dr. Christoph Borchers and his colleagues at the Jewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Centre in Montreal, the primary objective of the project is to identify blood biomarkers to monitor the progression of COVID-19. Also, a better understanding of these biomarkers will allow us to determine the likelihood that a recently infected patient will recover easily, develop severe symptoms, relapse or even die as a result of the infection.
“This ability to predict individual patient risk will help optimize resource allocation in a looming second wave,” said Dr. Christoph Borchers, Chief Scientific Officer of MRM Proteomics Inc. and Director of the Proteomics Centre at the Segal Cancer Centre.
MRM Proteomics is a biotechnology company founded in 2010 in British Columbia and based in Montreal since 2017. Specialized in proteomics, the company has already developed many functional tests to measure the precise concentration of hundreds of proteins and metabolites from blood samples. Its team of experienced researchers and the relationship they have developed with the team of clinicians at the Jewish General Hospital provide the company with a privileged access to cutting-edge expertise and patient samples, thereby facilitating the commercialization of a diagnostic kit by the end of 2020.
“This highly innovative project combines the expertise of a local SME with that of world-class clinical researchers. CQDM is proud to support MRM Proteomics as it undertakes to further the concept of precision medicine in the fight against emerging pathogens,” said Diane Gosselin, President and CEO of CQDM.
This project will carry a significant impact by optimizing the care trajectory for COVID-19 patients worldwide. Furthermore, the development and commercialization of the test will generate significant benefits for MRM Proteomics, thereby promoting the growth of this Quebec SME.
About MRM Proteomics Inc.
MRM Proteomics Inc. was originally launched in 2010 as a spin-off company to commercialize the cutting-edge proteomics technologies, tools, and know-how developed at the University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre. Since 2017, MRM Proteomics Inc. has opened independent laboratories in Montreal, provided proteomics services to many clients, established its own in-house technology development program, and developed and launched new commercial products (https://mrmproteomics).
About CQDM
CQDM is a biopharma-based research consortium created in 2008 with the mission to fund the development of innovative technologies to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs and vaccines. Its business model is based on a collaborative approach bringing together world-leading pharmaceutical organizations, Canadian biotech companies as well as the Canadian and Quebec governments who share the costs of the research. CQDM uses this leverage to reduce the risks inherent to early-stage biopharmaceutical research. In doing so, CQDM bridges the funding gap needed to drive innovation across the academic and private sectors, especially where early-stage research is concerned. CQDM receives contributions from Quebec’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI), from large pharmaceutical companies, and from the Government of Canada under the Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence Program (BL-NCE). Contact: https://cqdm.orgen.
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Source:
CQDM
Véronique Dugas Ph.D, MBA
Director, Partnerships and Special Projects
1 514 826-4953
vdugas@cqdm.org
