enGene initiates $20 million financing to advance lead product

Closely held enGene of Vancouver is working on a financing of up to $20 million with venture capital funds to conduct the first two phases of human clinical trials of its intestinal immunotherapy platform to treat ulcerative colitis, a major subtype of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). “We have built significant momentum for the financing in [...]

In conversation with Eric Adams

As CEO of privately held enGene, Eric Adams likes to say that the promise of DNA-based medicines, or gene therapy, is a few steps closer to being unlocked because of the Vancouver-based company. That’s because enGene has developed a technology that delivers DNA or small interfering RNA (siRNA) nucleotides to mucosal tissues such as the [...]

Canadians’ data heading to ASCO

Versant Partners analyst Doug Loe has compiled a list of six biotech companies that will have data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting on June 4 to 8.  He expects: · AEterna Zentaris (NASDAQ:AEZS; TSX:AEZ) to report final data from its 43-patient Phase 2 advanced ovarian cancer trial with its AEZS-108 drug, [...]

Tekmira’s leading RNAi platform ready for prime time

As a global leader in the emerging field of RNA interference (RNAi), which holds the potential of revolutionizing medicine with new therapeutics, upstart Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) is at the precipice of confirming that the highly touted science works in humans. “We really are at the crux,” CEO Dr. Mark Murray says in an exclusive interview [...]