The University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) said that Covidien has licensed a drug-delivery platform technology invented by UBC NanoMedicines Research Group director Pieter Cullis.
UBC and CDRD said that the transaction represents the first successful licensing agreement of a technology jointly developed between a UBC researcher and the full drug development platform available at CDRD.
Cullis said that the technology can be applied to a variety of therapeutics, and allows drugs that cannot usually be loaded to be delivered via liposomal nanoparticle (LNP) technology which can enhance drug potency and reduce toxic side effects.
"This technology would never have been developed without CDRD," Cullis said.
CDRD Business and Strategic Affairs senior vice president Karimah Es Sabar said that this licensing agreement further validates the successful collaboration model at CDRD, where they can provide drug development knowledge, technical infrastructure, commercialisation expertise, and funding for researchers across Canada so they can carry out critical experiments to further advance their discoveries into new therapeutics.
"CDRD is delighted to have enabled a commercialisation pathway for this technology through a licensing agreement with Covidien," Sabar said.
CDRD provides drug development expertise and infrastructure to enable researchers from academic and health research institutions to advance early-stage drug candidates.