For a safe chemotherapy: Pharma in silica starts up

QUÉBEC City, August 30, 2019 – Pharma in silica inc. announces today the closing of a start-up funding of 1,4 M $, mainly from four individual investors from Québec City, New Jersey et Gaspésie, in order to improve chemotherapy drugs for solid tumors, beginning with the most deadly of lung cancers.

The young company, established in the Technology Park of Québec City, develops a novel drug nanocarrier : « Our hypothesis is that these minuscule silica spheres will reduce the toxicity and increase the efficacy of anticancer drugs », said Dr. Rima Chouikrat, scientific coordinator at Pharma in silica.

The in silica™ technology was first developed for cosmetic applications by the fine chemistry company SiliCycle.

The new endeavor, driven by Mr. François Arcand, a seasoned life science entrepreneur, was created to realize the therapeutic capacities of the silica carrier. « Our craft is a little bit like trucking: to improve the patient outcomes, one must secure a potent poison, carry it to the tumor without touching healthy organs and then unload it to kill the cancer cells.»

The technical demonstrations have begun this summer: the chemists at SiliCycle are responsible for the silica chemistry and the Université Laval laboratories of professor Nicolas Bertrand and professor Marc-André Fortin, specialists in nanomedicine and imagery, conduct the in vivo assays. « This will be 10 months of beautiful science for the chemists ... and the mice! », concludes mr. Arcand.

About Pharma in silica inc.

Laboratoires Pharma in silica inc. is a preclinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Québec City's Parc Technologique. Since 2019, it has been developing novel treatments for solid cancers (lung, breast, etc.) using OpPacli™, a patented drug nanocarrier. The company is driven by a dynamic group of chemists, pharmacists and managers led by François Arcand, an experienced life sciences entrepreneur (Medicago, Conferences on Plant-made Pharmaceuticals, ERA Biotech). The company established its own research and production facilities and collaborates with oncology experts and world-renowned research centers and has completed the pre-IND/CTA meetings with the FDA and Health Canada.

For more information

François Arcand
President, Pharma in silica inc
514 994 1023 / 418 874-0054 #233
info@pharma-insilica.com

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