Boston, Massachusetts – June 5, 2023 – CQDM is delighted, at BIO2023, in the presence of Minister Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) to announce that Merck Canada, has renewed its commitment to CQDM with $3.0M in funding to support the development of innovative technologies in biopharmaceutical research. The innovative research and development projects funded as part of this contribution will be selected through the CQDM Quantum Leap or SynergiQc funding programs.
Aligned with Quebec’s recently unveiled strategies Life Sciences Strategy and Research and Innovation Investment Strategy, the two organizations are strengthening their ongoing commitment to health care innovation and research in Quebec through this partnership. With this renewed investment, Merck Canada’s overall contribution to CQDM will now total $12.5M.
“Merck Canada is delighted to announce the renewal of its financial support to CQDM to contribute to the advancement of more treatment options for patients. As a founding member, Merck Canada is proud to have participated in the creation of CQDM and now to continue its commitment in developing innovative tools and technology that can make a real difference in the lives of patients.” – Merck Canada
“As a founding member of CQDM’s biopharmaceutical consortium, Merck Canada was one of the first pharmaceutical organizations to see the value of CQDM’s model for supporting innovative collaborative research. Merck’s support of CQDM has been critical for us to fulfill our mission and we are delighted that they continue to share our vision and have renewed their commitment to CQDM, said CQDM President & CEO Diane Gosselin”
Merck Canada is a prominent member of Quebec’s life science ecosystem and their commitment to CQDM is a strong example of their engagement within the community at various levels. Since 2008, Merck Canada’s partnership with CQDM has permitted the funding of 65 projects to support the development of innovative technologies. The value of their partnership goes beyond R&D funding, as Quebec researchers gain a unique access to Merck Research Laboratories scientists as project mentors. These interactions ensure CQDM projects are of the highest quality, meet pharmaceutical industry standards and as such are globally competitive.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable, and healthy future for all people and communities. .
In Canada, Merck markets a broad range of vaccines, pharmaceutical and animal health products and is one of the top R&D investors in Canada, with investments totalling $93.58 million in 2020 and more than $1.3 billion since 2000. Based in Kirkland, Quebec, Merck employs approximately 592 people across the country. For more information about our operations in Canada, visit www.merck.ca and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @MerckCanada.
About CQDM
CQDM is a biopharmaceutical research consortium whose mission is to fund the development of innovative technologies and tools to accelerate the discovery and development of safer and more effective drugs. It provides a hub where major global pharmaceutical companies, several Canadian biotechnology companies, the best researchers from the public and private sectors, as well as the governments of Quebec and Canada converge. CQDM’s collaborative approach allows it to meet the needs for innovation funding in the academic and private sectors, particularly in the early stages of research. Information – Website: cqdm.org, LinkedIn and Twitter.
For more information
CQDM
Jesse Paterson
Senior Director, Business Development