BRIEF—Servier Canada establishes a new partnership with CQDM to fund a diabetes research project

The Canadian subsidiary of French drugmaker Servier has signed a new partnership with CQDM to fund a research project aiming at preventing the onset of diabetes-related kidney disease.

With this new collaboration, Servier Canada becomes the tenth pharmaceutical partner to join CQDM.

CQDM is an industrial research cluster whose purpose is to allow Quebec companies to access the innovation research network in the biopharmaceutical sector.

This public-private partnership globally valued at C$1.5 million ($1.2 million) will allow the team of Dr Pavel Hamet at the CHUM (CRCHUM) Research Centre to identify biomarkers and genetic profiles associated with chronic kidney disease caused by diabetes.

This programme will support the development of several preventive tests. The first one will be marketed within two years by OPTI-THERA, a Quebec biotech company that specializes in diabetes.

This project is funded through CQDM's SynergiQc program thanks to a contribution of C$333,475 from the Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation.

The purpose of this program is to fund research programs from Industry which is implemented in the academic settings and thereby allow Quebec companies to break new ground while benefiting from the expertise found in Quebec universities.