AmorChem, a Montréal-based venture capital fund focused on life sciences, is partnering with assistant professor Przemyslaw Sapieha from the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont and Univalor. Financial details have not been disclosed.
The partnership will focus on developing new drug therapies for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Sapieha’s research has been focussing on Semaphorin 3A and its role in ocular diseases. The research has already led to the discovery of therapeutics which may be useful in treating and stopping the development of the disease by inhibiting Semaphorin 3A.
Diabetic macular edema affects about 25% of all patients with diabetes. The disease results in a swelling of the retina, leading to blurred vision and eventually blindness. It is currently the most prevalent ophthalmologic problem faced by diabetic patients and the leading cause of blindness in adults in North America.
Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont is a hospital located in Montréal and affiliated with Montréal University. The hospital employs 5,500 staff and physicians, and counts 500 volunteers. Univalor is the tech transfer company of Montréal University and its affiliated health centres, Montréal Polytechnic and HEC Montréal.
Inès Holzbaur, general partner at AmorChem, said: “We believe that the field of ophthalmology is still in need of new and effective therapeutic strategies. AmorChem is very pleased to be supporting projects such as Dr. Sapieha’s and to build a promising ophthalmology portfolio.”
