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Quebec RNA therapies ecosystem at a Glance

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Companies & Organizations in Quebec

Quebec is an established hub for pharmaceutical development and has hosted the R&D centers of many major pharmaceutical companies. At the dawn of the RNA era, a growing number of companies like Moderna choose to establish themselves in Quebec. Quebec’s life sciences ecosystem, including its RNA sector, is now mainly made up of small and early-stage companies, often spin offs from university research and contract research organizations (CROs) with cutting-edge know-how in drug development. Such expertise is easily transferable to the development of RNA-based therapies.

OrganizationDescriptionMore information
Altasciences has expertise in highly sensitive bioanalytical assays development for the quantitation of oligonucleotides in complex biological matrices.   
Biodextris works with mid and large sized vaccine companies to develop, manufacture and test a wide range of biologic products for vaccine, pharmaceutical and other applications.
CellCarta offers a range of services to support the development of therapeutic modalities, biomarkers and companion diagnostic tests.
Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) delivers world-class technical skills development and training in biomanufacturing.   
The CERASP is a centre for technology transfer (CCTT) in the pharmaceutical sciences and connected industries, specializing in supporting businesses from early-stage discovery to scale-up and technical transfer for GMP-ready production to facilitate the commercialization journey.
CQIB is a life sciences incubator/accelerator offering laboratories and workspaces for start-up companies.
DePTAQ NetworkDePTAQ provides provide a full range of services, from the initial design of RNA therapies to preclinical-scale production, formulation and delivery. Managed by IRCM, McGill University and Sherbrooke University.
ECOGENE-21 is a Canadian nonprofit organization, patient-centered and internationally recognized for its robust experience and expertise in the design, execution, oversight, and monitoring of clinical trials.
Epitopea, a transatlantic cancer immunotherapy company founded in 2021 between Cambridge (UK), and Montreal (CA), develops ready-to-use RNA-based immunotherapies for the treatment of difficult-to-cure cancers.
Feldan is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of treatments based on the intracellular delivery of therapeutic products.
Galenvs is a specialized precision developer & manufacturer of DNA/RNA oligonucleotides for therapeutics, offering services from proof-of-concept through in vitro validation and pilot-scale production.
Moderna has developed therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and autoimmune diseases, at unprecedented speed and efficiency, including one of the earliest and most effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Molecular Forecaster combines world-class computational tools with deep domain expertise to tackle the toughest challenges in early-stage drug discovery.   
Nanofacile accelerates and reduces the risks associated with R&D of lipid nanoparticle-based gene therapies with advanced, easy-to-use technology, which includes encapsulation recipes and an advanced microfluidic device.
Neopharm Life Sciences offers a comprehensive suite of RNA analysis services designed to support researchers, pharmaceutical and biotech companies at every stage of the product development lifecycle, from early discovery to commercial launch and beyond.
NMX, a contract research partner, supports drug discovery targeting biological macromolecules of therapeutic interest.
Polaris Oligonucleotides is a Canadian-based biopharma services provider dedicated to advancing oligonucleotides science by leveraging cutting-edge synthetic chemistry.
Providence Therapeutics is an mRNA Medicines Platform company with over nine years of expertise, a proven mRNA Medicines Platform, a next-generation lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology and can produce vaccines and therapeutics ranging from personalized to pandemic scales.
RNA Technologies and Therapeutics Inc. (RNA T&T) is a privately held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada. It specializes in designing, optimizing, and small to medium-scale production (mg to g) of RNA.
Rynd Biotech specializes in providing accurate, point-of-care testing solutions and discreet at-home testing. Its innovative technology aims to redefine STI management by automating diagnosis and prescription delivery upon positive test results.
Solstar Pharma has developed an siRNA platform technology using proprietary modified nucleic acid chemistry to inhibit pathogen replication or block the production of cancer-causing proteins.
For 25 years, TransBIOTech has been accelerating the preclinical development of new therapies by offering the expertise required for drug discovery: pharmacology, cellular and molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics and toxicology. Member of the CCTT network.   
WhiteLab Genomics develops and leverages its proprietary AI platform to accelerate and optimize genomic medicine research and development (gene, cell, and RNA therapies).

Our structuring initiatives

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The RNA Mobilizing Project: Positioning Quebec as a hub for innovation in RNA-based therapies

On April 30th, 2024 the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) announced a $20.3 million funding commitment to support a mobilizing project aiming to develop a new industrial sector focused on RNA-based therapies through five strategic initiatives focusing on innovation, services and talents.

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McGill University D2R (DNA to RNA) initiative: An inclusive Canadian approach to genomic-based RNA therapeutics

With a landmark $165 million investment from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, along with additional support from the Quebec Government and philanthropic and industry partners, McGill’s world-leading research initiative D2R will develop revolutionary genomic-based RNA medicines for all.


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