SOCPRA concludes a new partnership with Ovensa for marketing chitosan with high added value
Sherbrooke, November 25, 2013 – SOCPRA is proud to announce a new licence agreement concluded on August 13, 2013 with Ovensa, an Ontario biotechnology
company specialized in the development and commercialization of chitosan biopolymers. Chitosan, mainly produced from the shells of crustaceans has unique properties making it useful for various applications among which: plant protection, food preservation, wound healing acceleration, drug delivery, antimicrobial substance, hypocholesterolemic soluble fiber and cosmetic ingredient. Dr. Ryszard Brzezinski, professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, has developed a new method for the production of chitosan by increasing the process efficiency that uses the cleaving enzyme, chitosanase. This improvement has a direct positive effect on the cost and profitability of production and thus provides a highquality chitosan whose solubility is greatly improved.
« Technologies from the Université de Sherbrooke will allow us to offer a competitive product with unique properties as requested by our customers and researchers internationally », declares Philippe Tremblay, Ovensa’s Vice President. « Moreover, this agreement is perfectly aligned with our goal to promote Canadian technologies that allow us to develop high added value products », he continues.
« We find in Ovensa an ideal partner that invests in the research and development from the Université de Sherbrooke. This company becomes an essential link in the marketing of the present invention », adds Luc Paquet, President and CEO at SOCPRA.
This partnership enables the exploitation of our natural resources in an environmentally responsible manner and provides significant financial benefits. Capitalizing on resources and advanced expertise, Québec and Canada are becoming world leaders in the development of chitosan.
Dr. Brzezinski, researcher at the Departement of Biology of the Université de Sherbrooke, has expertise in biomolecular engineering, genetic of actinomycetes and
environmental microbiology. He is a world-class expert in the field of chitosanases. He got his Ph.D. degree from the University of Warsaw in 1980 and then pursues
postdoctoral studies in Sherbrooke where he still is today. SOCPRA wishes to emphasize on the exceptional collaboration of Dr. Brzezinski in steps of technology transfer, making the partnership with Ovensa particularly effective and productive.
About Ovensa
Ovensa is a Canadian biotechnology company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes specialty chitosan biopolymers and its derivatives relevant to various
fields such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and agricultural industries.
About SOCPRA
SOCPRA is the Technology transfer office of the Université de Sherbrooke. Its mission is to manage the intellectual property supporting the products of university research, create business opportunities for these products and market them.
For more information, please contact:
Chantal Michel, Ph.D.
Project Director – Life Sciences
819-821-7961, ext. 105
Chantal.Michel@socpra.com
www.socpra.com
Philippe Tremblay
Vice President, Ovensa
450-818-0373
ptremblay@ovensa.com
www.ovensa.com