BURNABY, British Columbia, March 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Qu Biologics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs), a novel platform of immunotherapies designed to restore innate immune function, is pleased to announce, in partnership with TransBIOTech (Quebec), being awarded an Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant via the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program administered through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This funding, which spans 3 years and totals $450,000 of funding from CCI’s ARD program, will support Qu Biologics’ preclinical and translational research activities aimed at expanding the portfolio of disease indications for which Qu’s first-in-class SSI immunotherapy platform can be applied to improve health outcomes through SSI-mediated enhancement of innate immune competency and resiliency. TransBIOTech, a dedicated Applied Research and Technology Center in Quebec that is focused on supporting biotechnology companies and deepening expertise in this sector in Canada, will partner on this work.
Dr. Shirin Kalyan, Immunologist and Qu’s Vice President of Scientific Innovation, stated, “In partnership with TransBIOTech, we are very pleased to have been awarded this Applied Research and Development grant to support the expansion of our preclinical and translational programs while we [Qu Biologics] focus on completing enrollment of our two important Phase 2 clinical trials currently underway. This support will further enable us to fully test different SSI dosing strategies for different indications, which is of significant importance in the successful clinical translation and testing of Qu’s SSI therapy for new indications.” Dr. Frédéric Couture, Researcher and Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences at TransBIOTech and PI on the grant application, added, “This collaboration exemplifies the potent synergy that collaborative research can engender. We at TransBIOTech aim to nurture the Canadian biotech ecosystem and to help generate value for innovative Canadian biotechnology companies, such as Qu Biologics. This initiative perfectly aligns with TransBIOTech's proficiency in preclinical pharmacology and translational research capabilities. Together with Dr. Carole-Ann Huppé and Dr. Sarah Paris-Robidas, co-PIs on this grant, we are delighted to forge a partnership with Qu Biologics to help advance their scientific endeavors and are rewarded to be working to support the broad clinical potential of Qu’s first-in-class immunotherapy platform.”
Qu Biologics is currently enrolling in two randomized, placebo-controlled trials that are addressing critical unmet health care needs. The first trial is evaluating the use of Qu’s lung-directed SSI to improve innate immune function in those 65 years of age and older to reverse the decline in innate immune function that occurs with aging. The second trial is assessing the use of Qu’s gastrointestinal targeted SSI to prevent post-surgical immune paralysis in stage 4 colon cancer patients undergoing resection of liver metastases.
For more information about Qu Biologics and the science behind SSIs, please visit www.qubiologics.com.
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About Qu Biologics
Qu Biologics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSI), a novel class of immunotherapies designed to restore innate immune function in targeted organs to reverse the immune dysregulation underlying many important diseases including cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, and infection. Qu Biologics has completed four Phase 2 studies in lung cancer, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Two additional Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled studies, in late-stage colon cancer and immunosenescence, are enrolling.
Backed by a prestigious group of scientific advisors and board members, Qu Biologics is led by a management team that includes co-founder and CEO Dr. Hal Gunn, a physician and expert on the body’s immune response to chronic disease; Chief Medical Officer - Oncology Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, former CEO of the BC Cancer Agency and a distinguished clinician, scientist and leader in cancer control in Canada and internationally; and Chief Medical Officer – Infectious Disease Dr. Ted Steiner, a clinician-scientist specializing in immune responses to infections and Head of the UBC Division of Infectious Diseases. For more information, please visit www.qubiologics.com.
Qu Biologics Inc. cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Qu Biologics’ forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Qu Biologics’ business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Qu Biologics does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
