Éric Jolicoeur and Sasmita Tripathy, Research Officers
at IRIC’s Medicinal Chemistry Core Facility
Montreal, July 29, 2014 – Université de Montréal’s (UdeM) Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) has just inaugurated a medicinal chemistry laboratory within the NEOMED Institute in order to meet the increased demand for this expertise.
This expansion was carried out under the existing strategic collaboration agreement signed in 2013 between NEOMED, UdeM, and IRICoR (IRIC’s research commercialization unit) to accelerate the development and transfer of promising drugs between academia and the biopharmaceutical industry by sharing access to each other’s facilities of cutting-edge technology, equipment, expertise, and resources. For further details, please see the press release.
“Due to the growing number of ongoing projects with several partners, this addition to our research infrastructure was needed to fulfill our mandate to develop new drugs against cancer and other therapeutic targets associated with this disease,” said
Anne Marinier, Principal Investigator and Director of Medicinal Chemistry at IRIC, and Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry (UdeM).
“We are thrilled to welcome a team from IRIC to the NEOMED Institute. With 22 resident companies dedicated to the development of innovative drugs, hosting over 45 medicinal chemists, our Institute constitutes an important critical mass in this area. Medicinal chemistry is a crucial step in the development of safe and effective drugs,” declared
Max Fehlmann, President and CEO of the NEOMED Institute. “The proximity between our resident companies and IRIC will stimulate the emergence of new projects and successful collaborations,” added Mr. Fehlmann.
“This partnership with NEOMED once again demonstrates the need to unite the various players of the pharmaceutical industry in order to advance promising projects more quickly,” added Steven Klein, Vice President of Business Development at IRICoR.
About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of the
Université de Montreal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this disease. IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer.
For more information: www.iric.ca
About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer – Commercialization of Research
The Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer — Commercialization of Research (IRICoR) is a not-for-profit drug discovery and commercialization centre based at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal (UdeM). IRICoR’s main objective is to rapidly translate highly innovative scientific projects from IRIC, UdeM and various centres into high value novel therapies in oncology, immunology and related indications through strong partnerships with the private sector — thereby efficiently bridging the innovation translation gap between early stage academic research and industry. For more information: www.iricor.ca
About the NEOMED Institute
The NEOMED Institute is a state-of-the-art R&D facility in the Technoparc Montréal.
The Institute acts as an open-access drug discovery hub hosting drug discovery and development research companies, providing a unique environment to foster innovation, collaboration, and creativity. For more information: www.neomed.ca
About Université de Montréal
Deeply rooted in Montreal and dedicated to its international mission, the Université de Montréal is one of the top universities in the French-speaking world. Founded in 1878, the Université de Montréal today has 16 faculties and together with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montréal and École Polytechnique, constitutes the largest centre of higher education and research in Québec and one of the major centres in North America. It brings together 2,600 professors and researchers, accommodates more than 65,000 students. For more information: www.umontreal.ca
For further information, please contact:
Manon Pepin
Director, Communication and Media Relations
Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer│IRIC
Université de Montréal
(514) 343-7283│manon.pepin@umontreal.ca
Mounia Azzi, PhD
Director, Scientific Affairs
NEOMED Institute
(514) 909-7714│mazzi@neomed.ca