Aligo grants a licence to Ovensa for the production and marketing of a derivative of chitosan for high-value applications
Montreal, January 12th, 2015 – Aligo is proud to announce the granting of a worldwide exclusive license for all applications to Ovensa Inc. for the production and commercialization of trimethyl chitosan (TMC), a derivative of chitosan, a technology emanating from the University du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR).
TMC was developed by Professor Jonathan Gagnon, chemistry professor from the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Geography, UQAR. Prof. Gagnon is a specialist in the purification, characterization and modification of polysaccharides from natural sources.
Ovensa Inc. is an Ontario based biotechnology company specializing in the development of new bioactives and delivery technology platforms. The TMC technology platform is based on a high value-added chitosan derivative with multiple properties that clearly sets it apart from regular chitosan and allows for its use in a variety of application. Chitosan is principally a by-product of the exoskeleton of crustaceans but can also be obtained from non-animal sources and contains diverse properties.
Ovensa commercializes TMC as TriozanTM. Its properties allow, amongst other things, amplifying the penetration of active agents into the skin and through the mucous membranes of the human body. TriozanTM thus has the potential to increase the efficacy of cosmetic, nutrition and pharmaceutical products. In animals, TriozanTM has been shown to improve the potency of vaccines, as well as the assimilation of insulin through nasal and oral intake. It can also potentiate a number of molecules with beneficial health properties.
“We believe in the potential of this technology coming from UQAR given the many proofs of concept for a variety of applications,” says Stéphane Gagné, President of Ovensa. “This technological platform will allow us to establish numerous partnerships and we are already encouraged by the initial enthusiasm shown by cosmetics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies” he added.
“In Quebec, some 30,000 metric tons of marine products are processed by our plants annually, with more than half of the total residue being sent to municipal landfills resulting in considerable costs for both the municipalities and the businesses. This technology allows us to valorize these waste products for a variety of different applications and we are very proud of this deal with Ovensa” confirms Priyum Koonjul, Director, Business Development, Aligo Innovation.
This partnership between Ovensa, Aligo and UQAR is a perfect example of a pan-Canadian collaboration between academic and industrial institutions where synergistic value creation is demonstrated.
About Ovensa
Ovensa Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company that takes advantage of its proprietary delivery technology platforms to solve pharmacokinetic challenges or to reformulate off-patent drugs without modifying or denaturing them. Such drugs would likely benefit from a delayed delivery, in situ targeting, improved bioavailability or offering better patient compliance. Those platforms also allow Ovensa to develop bioactives for the pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic and health supplement industries.
About Aligo
Aligo Innovation, limited partnership, is a newly created company that creates value from the intellectual property assets of the following institutions: McGill University, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montreal (UQAM), University of Sherbrooke, École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Bishop’s University as well as their affiliated hospitals and research centers.
For more information, please communicate with:
Priyum Koonjul, Ph.D.
Director, Business Development
Aligo Innovation
514-840-1226 ext. 3011
www.aligoinnovation.com
Stéphane Gagné
President and CEO
Ovensa Inc.
905-726-9933
www.ovensa.com