QUEBEC – Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers, with a survival rate of just 10% after five years. In 2024, it will claim over 6,100 lives in Canada and more than 500,000 worldwide. Unfortunately, current treatment options provide limited clinical benefit with significant toxicity. Despite some recent research advances, Meaningful and durable disease control remain unachieved; therefore, there is a critical need for new effective treatments.

With this in mind, Neolys Pharma, a Quebec-based biotechnology startup, is pleased to announce the progression of RM-581 as a promising new treatment for cancer patients. This candidate drug, derived from our molecular platform, operates through a novel mechanism and primarily targets difficult-to-treat cancers, including pancreatic cancer, hormone-resistant prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. Neolys Pharma recently secured seed funding of $1.1 million to accelerate the development of RM-581.

This seed funding was made possible through private investors and a grant from the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy (MEIE) under the “PSO” program, which was awarded to the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center (CRCHUQ-UL) and the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University. Support from Axelys in business coaching, technological maturation, and intellectual property protection has also contributed to this success.

“Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers, primarily due to late diagnosis and limited treatment options. Our goal is to develop RM-581 as an effective yet well-tolerated alternative for patients. This molecule is administered orally and has shown excellent tolerance in animal models, which contrasts with traditional chemotherapy agents. RM-581 has also demonstrated its ability to combine effectively with other anticancer agents. We anticipate that human clinical trials will begin in the next two to three years,” – Christian Roby, CEO of Neolys Pharma.

”We are very proud to have supported Neolys Pharma through several important stages of their development. We celebrate this news for Christian Roby and his outstanding team, as it positions this Quebec startup to evolve into a global player in the biopharmaceutical sector. With Neolys Pharma, we have the potential to offer a truly significant innovation that can reshape healthcare for all Quebecers. This is a new example of what Axelys can achieve in turning public research ideas into innovations,”

« This is a new example of what Axelys can achieve in turning public research ideas into innovations,” – Jesse Vincent-Herscovici, CEO of Axelys.

Founded in 2023 by Christian Roby, researchers Donald Poirier and René Maltais, the founding team of Neolys Pharma includes Dr. Poirier’s team at CRCHUQ-UL, who embarked twenty years ago on a research program that led to the discovery of a new family of broad-spectrum anticancer agents, of which RM-581 is a very promising candidate. Encouraging results have been obtained on cancers with poor prognosis. In mouse cancer model of pancreatic cancer, RM-581 demonstrated its ability to shrink tumors to an undetectable level after just one month of treatment.

Neolys Pharma has signed an exclusive global license option for the development and commercialization of RM-581, an innovative molecule patented by Laval University. Over the months, the co-founders have attracted a team of seasoned experts and collaborators motivated by the hope of improving the prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients and raising its low survival rate.

Neolys Pharma extends its gratitude to all stakeholders who have made this crucial step possible toward developing an innovative therapy that could transform the lives of many patients.

Mitacs’ Elevation program also contributes to the success of RM-581’s development through a co-funded postdoctoral scholarship with NEOLYS PHARMA, allowing this valuable resource to continue this work while providing a professional development program for the intern.

The company also plans to raise additional funds in the coming months to support its research and development towards clinical trials.

ABOUT NEOLYS PHARMA

Neolys Pharma (www.neolyspharma.ca) is a Quebec-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for various types of cancer, with a particular focus on hard-to-treat cancers. Our mission is to give a second chance to patients with hard-to-treat cancers through innovative treatments.

ABOUT CHU DE QUEBEC – UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL RESEARCH CENTER

The largest French-speaking research center in North America, the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center includes 1,092 researchers, 1,531 staff members, and 1,215 graduate students across five sites in Quebec. With its exceptional research teams and state-of-the-art facilities, the organization enjoys an enviable national and international reputation. www.crchudequebec.ulaval.ca

ABOUT AXELYS

Axelys is Quebec’s public research innovation development and transfer company. It contributes to the province’s economic and social prosperity by accelerating the maturation and deployment of high-potential inventions, know-how, or processes into innovations that can improve the world in which we live. It also supports scientific companies emerging from public research, such as Neolys Pharma.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Christian Roby
President and CEO
Neolys Pharma
Website : www.neolyspharma.ca
Email: christian.roby@neolyspharma.ca
Phone: +1.418-931-2195