Participated · Series C · Oct 2022

Inversago Pharma is a clinical-stage biotech in Montreal focused on developing first-in-class, peripherally-acting CB1 inverse agonists. Its lead program, INV-202, is being advanced for Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) and is slated to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial in Q4 2022. The company announced FDA IND clearance for INV-202 and expects Phase 1b topline results in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Proceeds from the Series C will also accelerate multiple preclinical programs across its pipeline. Inversago aims to establish leadership in the field of CB1 blockade and to develop therapies for cardiometabolic, fibrotic, and other metabolic conditions. The company is privately owned and targets indications including DKD, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, NASH, complications of obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and progressive-fibrosis interstitial lung diseases. Inversago Pharma is a preclinical-stage biotech focused on first-in-class, peripherally-acting CB1 inverse agonists. Its lead candidate is INV-101 and the company plans to use recent proceeds to advance INV-101 to clinical proof-of-concept while progressing research on other selected compounds. Inversago targets metabolic and fibrotic conditions including Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. The company’s approach is designed to inhibit peripheral CB1 signaling—thought to be activated in many of these diseases—while avoiding the CNS liabilities associated with central CB1 blockade. Clinical and scientific data cited by the company support CB1 inhibition as an effective therapeutic strategy in several diseases, and Inversago emphasizes a safer therapeutic window through peripheral-only action. Following the financing the company expanded its board to help transition from preclinical work toward first-in-human trials. Inversago Pharma is a Montreal-based, preclinical-stage company developing new generations of peripherally-restricted CB1 inverse agonists/antagonists for Prader-Willi Syndrome, type 1 diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders including NASH. Its core product is a CB1 receptor blocker designed to avoid the central nervous system adverse events that terminated earlier, centrally-acting CB1 programs. The company’s technology is based on work by CB1 expert George Kunos at the NIH/NIAAA and has shown in preclinical models that peripheral CB1 blockade can treat obesity, NASH, liver fibrosis and diabetes without the behavioral CNS effects of earlier compounds. Inversago intends to advance its peripherally-restricted CB1 program into clinical trials. The company launched operations to exploit the therapeutic potential of reinstated CB1 blockade across multiple metabolic indications. The announced Series A financing will support the company’s development plan and progression toward clinical development.

Participated · Seed · May 2021

Giiant Pharma is a Canadian, preclinical-stage biotech that designs gut-restricted small-molecule drug therapeutics using a proprietary Precision Delivery technology that leverages the gut microbiota to bioactivate poorly-absorbable prodrug therapeutics. Its lead program, GT-2108, is an orally administered, gut-restricted, colon-specific PDE4 inhibitor prodrug intended for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. The company says GT-2108 offers vastly improved drug tolerability and enhanced therapeutic effect. Giiant will use the financing to pursue an IND-enabling preclinical program for GT-2108 with the aim of an IND filing by Q2 2024. The company is currently in discussions with potential pharmaceutical partners to co-develop and accelerate the GT-2108 program. The announcement identifies the company as headquartered in Montreal. Giiant Pharma is a preclinical-stage biotech company based in Montreal that designs gut-restricted, tissue-specific small-molecule drug therapeutics using its proprietary Precision Delivery technology platform. Its lead program, GT-2108, is a microbiota-activated PDE4 inhibitor prodrug designed to improve drug tolerability and enhance therapeutic effect for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. The company plans to use recently raised funds to initiate an IND-enabling preclinical program for GT-2108. Giiant’s pipeline targets various biological mechanisms in gastroenterology with an emphasis on localized activity in the gut. Leadership includes CEO Maxime Ranger, Chief Development Officer Dr. Elizabeth Kwong, and Chief Clinical Officer Patrick Colin. The company is positioned as a preclinical-stage therapeutics developer focused on advancing its lead candidate toward clinical entry.

Led · Seed · Dec 2018

MyX Therapeutics was created as a spin-out from AmorChem to commercialize MyX-001, a patented biodegradable muco-adhesive nanoparticle delivery platform for sustained drug release in ophthalmic and other mucosal routes. The platform can be tuned to maximize drug loading and provide sustained release, potentially enabling reduced dosing frequency (examples cited: 1x/day or 2x/week), improved hydration/lubrication and lower required API doses based on initial animal models. Targeted routes include ophthalmic, sublingual, intranasal, vaginal and gastrointestinal deliveries, with an initial commercial focus on ocular diseases in both animal and human health. AmorChem transferred all rights to the MyX-001 technology to MyX Therapeutics and provided a $450,000 seed investment to help the company clinch its first deals with commercial partners. Management appointments at launch include Gregory L. White as CEO, Dr. Frank Gu as Chief Scientific Officer and Véronique Bougie as COO; the technology was developed by University of Waterloo researchers Dr. Frank Gu, Dr. Lyndon Jones and Dr. Sandy Liu. MyX plans to pursue a product-development licensing partnership business model and to expand applications of the platform, including uses unrelated to health.

Led · Equity · Mar 2018

SemaThera is a Montreal-based biotech developing novel anti-SEMA3A therapies for the treatment of several retinopathies. Its lead candidate, ST-102, is a bispecific biological trap that inhibits semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The company is preparing ST-102 for a clinical trial application in diabetic macular edema (DME). SemaThera closed a $2M co-investment from Senju Pharmaceutical and AmorChem and signed an exclusive option to license ST-102 in China and Japan with Senju. Under the option Senju would assume all clinical development costs and regulatory fees in China and Japan, pay milestone payments totaling in the eight-digit range, and provide a two-digit percent royalty on sales; Senju also holds exclusive rights to other indications in those territories. The company appointed John G. Clement, Ph.D., as Executive Vice‑President, Business Development, and its SEMA3A-based technologies may have future applications in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.