Québec City, February 3rd, 2020 — The staff and shareholders of Pharma in silica inc. express their gratitude to the City of Québec for its startup contribution of $250 000 via the Vision entrepreneuriale Program.
The Québec City company begun in March of 2019 the design of the in silica™ nanocarrier. The City of Québec contribution will consolidate the funds received from private investors, mainly from the Québec region, and the federal and provincial R&D tax credits, in order to propel this minuscule silica-made truck (150 billionths of a meter) toward its first destination : the most deadly of lung cancers.
« The launch of a life science endeavor is the most uncertain stage of the long journey toward the patient », declared Michel L’Heureux, MD, entrepreneur and member of the board. « The four private investors that subscribed 750 000$ in 2019 are well aware of this; they celebrate the tangible and valuable support provided by the City of Québec to Pharma in silica. »
Pharma in silica‘s hypothesis is that its silica spheres will increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of certain drugs, namely against cancer, inflammation and other pathologies.
« Québec pumps today 250 000 liters of fuel in our gas tank », appreciates François Arcand, the president of Pharma in silica. « Its 20 % of added mileage for 6,5 persons, including 5 chemistry PhDs, for assays with animals at Université Laval, for the canvassing of investors for our next step. Our municipality boosts by 20% the probability of success of Pharma in silica. In the life science world, this is immense. »
Pharma in silica intends to close a second equity financing during 2020 and to conduct its first preclinical assays at the beginning of 2021.
About Pharma in silica inc.
Pharma in silica inc. is a pharmaceutical development company at preclinical stage. Since March 2019, the company develops the drug carrier in silica™ under the direction of François Arcand, a seasoned life science entrepreneur (Medicago, Conferences on Plant-made Pharmaceuticals, ERA Biotech). The nanocarrier in silica™, a minuscule sphere of porous and functionalized silica, has for purpose to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of certain drugs. Pharma in silica has established strategic collaborations with SiliCycle (materials chemistry), the Université Laval (murine assays, imaging thanks to the support of MÉI) and Université de Montréal (carriers for RNA, enzymes and others, with the financial help of PRIMA Québec and NSERC). The in silica™ technology and the company arose from the incubation program of Groupe SiliCycle, located in the Parc
Technologique de Québec.