Immune Biosolutions: from start-up to an established biopharma company thanks to CQDM’s support

When it began in 2012, Immune Biosolutions specialized in antibody production for research. However, the company, hosted by the Sherbrooke Pharmacology Institute, wanted to explore a transition towards the development of therapeutic antibody projects.

As part of its SynergiQc program, CQDM granted Immune Biosolutions funding, which gave it the impetus needed to initiate cancer immunotherapy projects. In partnership with senior research scientists at l’Université Sherbrooke, Professors Fernand Gobeil Jr, Philippe Sarret et Fernand-Pierre Gendron the young company launched programs to develop therapeutic antibodies targeting two membrane receptors from a family involved in the progression of many cancers, the G protein-coupled receptors.

« CQDM’s support helped us establish our credibility, draw considerable interest for our technology and build partnerships with world-class pharmaceutical companies.”

Frédéric Leduc, Chief Business Officer, Immune Biosolutions 

Thanks to the impetus generated by CQDM’s collaborative research model, Immune Biosolutions has seen a marked increase in its growth. Not only have antibody candidates made progress towards establishing a proof-of-concept by moving into preclinical development, but the funding also enabled the company to develop several innovative platforms:

• A high-performance platform of recombinant antibody production;
• Production of tthree-dimensional peptide antigens that take in to account the complexity and conformation of the therapeutic targets;
• High-throughput antibody screening able to measure the affinity of antibodies for the target as well as their effect on cellular activity.

These advances allowed Immune Biosolutions to boost its abilities to develop therapeutic antibodies, which was a critical factor enabling the establishment of a clinical program against COVID-19 at a remarkable speed! In just a few months the company has developed a breakthrough COVID-19 immunotherapy and initiated Phase I clinical trials in South Africa.

CQDM has contributed to Immune Biosolutions’ positive positioning and credibility in the industry, resulting in partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies and a new round of financing to further its development activities.

Collaborative research, at the core of CDQM’s funding model, propelled the Sherbrooke-based research antibody company to become a highly credible and promising drug development company, well positioned to become a key player in this competitive field.

To learn more about Immune Biosolutions: https://immunebiosolutions.com/

To learn more about our success stories, click here: CQDM: Our success stories for companies in #lifesciences