Home Blog Page 219

Glycovax Pharma will know in three months if its COVID-19 vaccine works

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Glycovax Pharma will know in three months if its COVID-19 vaccine works

Laval and Montreal-based firm is using research started three years ago

Martin C. Barry

Glycovax Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Montreal with laboratories on Cartier Blvd. in Laval, is actively working on the development of a new vaccine approach to counter COVID-19 – with some important initial findings expected in three months.

Molecular research

According to the company, whose research team is led by Montreal-based organic chemist Dr. René Roy, Glycovax Pharma’s prototype glycoconjugate vaccine is currently in the preclinical phase. If all goes according to plan, Glycovax Pharma anticipates having a vaccine in as little as 12 to 15 months.

Glycovax Pharma scientific director and vice-president for research Dr. René Roy is confident the company is on track to finding a vaccine against COVID-19 within the next 12 to 15 months.

According to initial reports, the company had been working on a molecular research project involving breast cancer for the past three years when they found it had properties which could be used to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 and the coronavirus.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team of researchers and scientists at Glycovax Pharma has analyzed the specific biomarkers of the virus.

Biomarkers in library

The research made it possible to discover that several biomarkers identified on the virus are part of a library of glycoconjugate immunogens developed within the framework of the work of researchers at Glycovax Pharma.

In addition, according to the company, the structures of these carbohydrates are very similar to the structures on which Glycovax Pharma had focused its work since 2017.

The company says this discovery prompted Dr. Roy’s scientific team to test its glycoconjugate vaccine candidates with a view to developing a first prototype of a semi-synthetic vaccine to counter COVID-19. Such a vaccine could, after a successful phase of clinical trials, be manufactured quickly and on a large scale, according to Glycovax Pharma.

‘Disruptive’ strategy, says Roy

“Analysis of the COVID-19 virus has shown us that it has properties that are directly related to the molecules we develop at Glycovax Pharma,” Dr. Roy, scientific director and vice-president of research at the company, said in a press release issued last week.

“This discovery allows us to envision a solution that could be deployed quickly enough to counter this virus. It is a disruptive scientific strategy that we have a duty to explore.”

Vaccines for meningitis

Dr. Roy is considered to be a world expert and a pioneer in glycochemistry. He helped develop two vaccines to fight bacterial infections that cause meningitis in young children. In association with Cuban researchers, he also helped develop the world’s first semi-synthetic vaccine that completely eradicated the disease in Cuba. The vaccine was subsequently administered to more than 65 million children worldwide.

As well as co-founding Glycovax Pharma, Dr. Roy is a professor emeritus at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) and associate professor at the Armand Frappier Institute of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), which is located in Laval. His research and development work since the creation of Glycovax Pharma in 2016 has also produced promising preclinical results on vaccines designed to treat various forms of cancer.

Will know in three months

“In response to this pandemic that is causing death here and around the world, our researchers are fully engaged in this war against COVID-19,” said Dany Valiquette, president of Glycovax Pharma.

“Their research on sugar chemistry has allowed us to develop a semi-synthetic vaccine for the population, whose goal is to prevent and destroy coronavirus in a safe and economical way to be produced on a large scale. Within three months, with the appropriate resources, we will be able to assess the effectiveness of our vaccine and whether it is able to destroy the COVID-19 virus.”

A revolutionary approach

Glycovax Pharma says its team includes scientists who are considered to be among the world’s elite in glycochemistry, glycobiology, immunology and nanotechnology. The company says they have designed a family of therapeutic tools based on glyco-nanomolecules that are revolutionizing the way to treat patients with cancer and other conditions involving bacteria and viruses. An online encyclopedia defines glycobiology as the study of the structure, biosynthesis, and biology of saccharides (sugar chains or glycans) that are widely distributed in nature. Sugars or saccharides are considered to be essential components of all living things and aspects of the various roles they play in biology are researched in various medical, biochemical and biotechnological fields.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Laval bio-science companies involved in COVID-19 research

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Laval bio-science companies involved in COVID-19 research

Cité de la Biotech is home to more than a dozen biotech firms

Martin C. Barry

While research is underway all over the world to find treatments and an eventual vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19, the City of Laval is pointing out that more than a dozen companies located on its territory are actively involved in the global scientific efforts.

“In these difficult times, each of us is called upon to contribute in all ways possible to facing the challenges posed by the pandemic,” said City of Laval executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer who is responsible for economic development dossiers.

A biotech leader

“Laval has been known as a leader in biotechnology for years. Today more than ever, our scientists and entrepreneurs are exceeding themselves in research towards innovative and concrete solutions for safeguarding the health of people from here and elsewhere.”

In all, according to the city, there are 13 businesses located in Laval’s Cité de la Biotech scientific industrial park that stand to make contributions to the research towards eventually finding a solution to COVID-19.

Range of companies

The companies range from long-established multinationals, to much more recent “start-ups.” In the latter category, some are just getting underway under the roof of Laval’s bio-science business “incubator” – the Centre québécois d’innovation en biotechnologie (CQIB).

“We are especially proud that six businesses from our incubator are involved in the struggle against COVID-19,” said CQIB executive-director Perry Niro. “And this thanks to support from the CQIB and the commitment of its employees.”

The research firms

Here is a summary of the 13 bio-science businesses located in Laval that are working on COVID-19-related research:

Seen here from an eagle’s-eye point of view, the City of Laval’s Cité de la Biotech is home to more than a dozen science and research companies doing active work towards finding treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19.

Nexelis is a highly-regarded laboratory with projects funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the city, the company is currently working collaboratively on anti-viral vaccines and treatments.

Corealis Pharma produces oral formulations for antivirals in anticipation of clinical trials for various clients located internationally.

On the cutting edge

Altasciences is pursuing research on behalf of Swiss-based Roivant Sciences (a company founded by U.S. bio-sciences venture entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy). The research is on Gimsilumab, a COVID-19 treatment, which could prevent or slow development of the disease’s severe acute respiratory syndrome. Phase 1 of a clinical study has been completed.

Biodextris has been developing an exclusive technology under license from GlaxoSmithKline for the administration of a nasal vaccine that has shown promise against the coronavirus in pre-clinical trials.

Doing their part

Roche Diagnostics is furnishings scientific instruments and tests for tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Bausch Health (until recent years the most valuable company in Canada) is offering medications as well as other health-related products to international organizations as its contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

‘Laval has been known as a leader in biotechnology for years,’ says executive-committee v.p. Stéphane Boyer

Servier Canada is donating 100,000 facial masks to health professionals at the front line, in conjunction with Innovative Medicines Canada.

ILS Pharma will soon be offering a quick test for detecting the presence of the COVID-19 virus.

A cure for COVID-19

Ovensa is working on medications designed to slow viral infections as well as pulmonary lesions caused by hypoxy (lack of oxygen in tissues), a possible complication from COVID-19.

Oligo Medic and Smart Medicines GMP have adapted their production systems to make disinfectant gel.

Glycovax Pharma is developing technology for inhibitors against the adhesion of bacterias and viruses. And Inixium has decided to orient its research onto molecules that could inhibit viral replication.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

City of Laval keeping watch over spring flood waters

Martin C. Barry
-
0
City of Laval keeping watch over spring flood waters

In order to assure the safety of residents, the City of Laval says it has installed a universally-accessible pedestrian overpass on the Comtois Ave. mini-bridge to maintain a link between the south-east portion of l’Île Verte and the Laval islands in the eventuality spring flooding should cause any car traffic disruptions as was the case in past years.

Laval public works crews set up anti-flood barriers in Sainte-Dorothée.

Floodwatch underway

Although water levels in the Laval-Les Îles area are lower than last year, the City of Laval says it is watching the situation carefully and public works teams stand ready to take action if that is deemed necessary.

The city has taken precautions and installed protective anti-flood barriers along certain streets near the waterfront, including streets in Laval-les-Îles, Souvenir-Labelle, L’Abord-à-Plouffe, Saint-François and l’Orée-des-Bois.

Protecting property

The measures also include caution signs as well as anti-flood concrete blocks. Residents who are in areas where there are significant risks of flooding are asked to take measures on their own now to safeguard their property.

The city also urging those in affected areas to use all the necessary tools available to receive communication alerts, including social media such as Twitter or Facebook, should the waters rise. Registration for alerts can be done on the City of Laval web site.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Canadian Armed Forces send medics to Laval seniors’ residences

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Canadian Armed Forces send medics to Laval seniors’ residences

Villa Val des Arbres one of five CHSLDs being helped with COVID-19

Martin C. Barry

In response to a request from the Quebec government, the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force East (JTFE) has dispatched medically-trained military personnel to the Montreal region to assist at nearly a half-dozen long-term care residences struggling with COVID-19 – including a CHSLD in the Laval area.

Answering a need

Following an agreement between the provincial and federal governments, JTFE personnel with medical experience were deployed to assist Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) with the COVID-19 crisis, said a spokesperson for CAF headquarters in Ottawa.

Members of the CAF’s 4 Health Services Group are seen here training at Saint-Jean Garrison south of Montreal in preparation for deployment to the region, including Laval.

The MSSS had identified long-term care centres (CHSLDs) as institutions requiring the most assistance. CHSLD Villa Val des Arbres on Saint-Martin Blvd. East in Laval was among the care centres selected for assistance. The CAF said it worked closely with its government partners to identify priorities and the facilities where the greatest impact could be made, based on capabilities.

Helping civilian teams

Prior to deploying to selected long-term care facilities identified by the MSSS, the CAF’s teams were liaising with the establishments to clearly assess the essential needs. The CAF says this critical planning process will ensure that military personnel subsequently sent to the facilities will effectively meet the support needs of the civilian teams already in place.

Five long-term care centres in the greater Montreal area are at the heart of the efforts in liaison with the on-site civilian teams. The CAF’s deployed intervention teams are composed of up to 130 personnel, including two nurses and 12 medical technicians, all being assisted by support staff.

‘Proud to serve’

The CAF says that as active members in their communities, the military personnel who are deployed “are proud to be able to help the people of Quebec.” They have been assigned in small groups and have been mandated to “rigorously respect the standards and procedures established by the MSSS for the protection of patients, the public, and civilian and military personnel to combat COVID-19,” according to the CAF.

The tasks performed by the military personnel vary according to the needs identified by their civilian partners. Among other things, the military are supporting the civilian health professionals already in place by augmenting the strength of the resources available at each location.

They were in isolation

In order to be ready to answer the call, members of the 2nd Canadian Division/Joint Task Force (East) team were in voluntary isolation since March 13.

‘We are proud that military personnel are helping to fight COVID-19 in the long-term care centres,’ says Brigadier-General Gervais Carpentier, Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force East

“We are proud that military personnel are helping to fight COVID-19 in the long-term care centres following a request from the Government of Quebec that was approved by federal authorities,” Brigadier-General Gervais Carpentier, Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force East, said in a statement.

Ready for challenges

“Our military health care professionals are ready and equipped to meet the challenges ahead,” said Colonel Manon Asselin, Commander of 4 Health Services Group. “They have the knowledge and skills to work in health care settings together with civilian agencies in order to support their fellow citizens during this difficult time.”

Operation LASER is the name of the Canadian Armed Forces’ overall response to the pandemic. It focuses on CAF preservation, the assessment of CAF activities at home and abroad, and the preparation of the CAF to support civil authorities, as requested by the federal government.

JTFE one of six regions

Joint Task Force East (JTFE) is one of six regional forces established by the Canadian Armed Forces across the country. The task forces are located in key locations across Canada, and they conduct CAF operations on a continental scale.

The CAF says that one of the cornerstones of military medicine is the management of infectious diseases in a military environment such as bases, camps, ships and air stations. As such, they add, preventive medicine focuses on the required skill sets to accomplish the task, and all its health professionals are equally well-trained in this area.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Laval News Volume 28-09

George Bakoyannis
-
0
Laval News Volume 28-09

The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-09 published April 29th, 2020,
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Current issue of the Laval News volume 28-09 published April 29th, 2020.

Laval hand sanitizer firm to ship one million units per week

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Laval hand sanitizer firm to ship one million units per week

Laval-based Neptune Wellness Solutions, which produces naturally-sourced health products, says it is accelerating production of its hand sanitizers to more than 1 million units per week, while responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

In a statement issued April 23, Neptune said the production scale-up will allow the company to meet strong demand from its North American retail and government customers, and begin shipping product the following week, including fulfilling a purchase order from a large North American retailer.

Neptune Wellness says it will be soon be shipping one million units of hand sanitizer per week, as production is scaled up to meet COVID-19 demand.

“I could not be more proud of how our entire team has mobilized to leverage our collective expertise in procurement, manufacturing, product innovation, supply chain management and regulatory affairs to bring significant and continuous supply of hand sanitizer gel to market ahead of schedule during this critical stage in the battle against COVID-19,” said Michael Cammarata, Chief Executive Officer of the company whose headquarters are located at the Centropolis in Laval.

“We are rapidly responding to the needs of North Americans and playing a key role in meeting customer demand for safe and effective hand sanitizer to help prevent the spread of germs and protect consumer health,” added Cammarata.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

CISSS de Laval offers help to doctors, dentists, pharmacists during COVID-19

Martin C. Barry
-
0

The CISSS de Laval’s committee overseeing the health of staff doctors and other professionals has launched a new program to tend to the needs of MDs, dentists and pharmacists in Laval who may be finding they need personal support during the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the CISSS, three levels of assistance are being offered: Group Peer Support (GPS), one-on-one counselling from a psychiatrist, and ethical guidance, given the difficult life-and-death decisions that many doctors are finding themselves having to make as the coronavirus continues to generate so many fatalities.

A team put together by the CISSS de Laval is made up of doctors, psychologists and ethics specialists. The CISSS has set up several dedicated phone lines for each type of need. Detailed information is available at the following web address: https://www.lavalensante.com/employes-professionnels-et-medecins/covid-19-coronavirus/soutien-aux-medecins.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Laval to grant $1 million subsidy to Cité de la Santé Foundation

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Laval to grant $1 million subsidy to Cité de la Santé Foundation

The City of Laval’s executive-committee has sent a recommendation to city council to vote in favour of granting a $1 million subsidy to the Cité de la Santé Foundation, which raises money for the hospital on René-Laennec Blvd., payable in installments of $200,000 annually over the next five years.

The Cité de la Santé Foundation, which raises additional funding for the hospital on René-Laennec Blvd., will be receiving $200,000 annually from the City of Laval over the next five years.

According to a statement issued on April 23 by Mayor Marc Demers’ office and the city administration, the money will be used by the Cité de la Santé Foundation to help fulfill its mandate, which consists mostly of maintaining and improving services at the hospital as well as within the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de Laval.

“The health of our citizens is one of our big priorities,” said Demers. “We are delighted to participate in this collective effort by supporting the CISSS de Laval and all health professionals. In fact, we are very grateful to them for their commitment and we wish to acknowledge their courage.”

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Class action suit pending against CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Class action suit pending against CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée

The son of an elderly woman who was among the many people who have died of COVID-19 at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée in Laval is seeking permission from a Quebec court to file a class action lawsuit against the long-term care residence.

CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée is on the short list of Quebec long-term care residences where the most deaths from COVID-19 have occurred.

Jean-Pierre Daubois, whose mother Anna José Marquet died at the age of 94 on April 3 after she contracted COVID-19 at the CHSLD, has filed initial paperwork in Quebec Superior Court for the suit against CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée. The suit also names CISSS de Laval, the regional health authority that oversees the residence on Samson Blvd. in Laval’s Sainte-Dorothée neighbourhood.

The application accuses CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée and CISSS de Laval of failing to provide employees with adequate protective equipment, while neglecting to quarantine residents who had symptoms of the virus. The pending class-action is claiming $1 million in exemplary damages, as well as tens of thousands of dollars for deceased or living residents, whether they caught COVID-19 or not.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

McDonald’s temporarily shuts Laval location

Martin C. Barry
-
0
McDonald’s temporarily shuts Laval location

McDonald’s Canada has announced that after finding out an employee at a Laval location was COVID-19-positive, the company decided to close the location temporarily and until further notice.

According to the company, on April 20 an employee working at the 2715 des Aristocrates Ave. McDonald’s location (just off Autoroute 440 in eastern Laval) informed management of having recently received a confirmation of having tested positive for COVID-19.

“As a measure of extreme prudence, McDonald’s Canada decided to immediately close the restaurant so that an in-depth cleaning and sanitation by experts in WINMAR cleaning could be carried out,” McDonald’s Canada spokesperson in Montreal Ryma Boussoufa said in a statement.

According to Boussoufa, all employees at the McDonald’s location who might have been in contact with the infected employee were asked to put themselves in isolation until further information was made available to them. The employee in question last worked on April 11 from 1 pm to 4:15 pm.

For customers who may have been at the restaurant on April 11, McDonald’s recommends following health directives provided at the following web site: https://www.quebec.ca/sante/problemes-de-sante/a-z/coronavirus-2019/.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

1...218219220...319Page 219 of 319

Weather

Laval
overcast clouds
27.2 ° C
27.7 °
26.6 °
70%
1.3m/s
100%
Sat
30 °
Sun
27 °
Mon
24 °
Tue
26 °
Wed
22 °

Popular Categories