Investing in Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Detection

Project Description

Moncton, New Brunswick
Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
ACOA assistance: $3,000,000 (AIF Conditionally Repayable)
Total Project Costs: $4,500,000

Atlantic Cancer Research Institute - Delivering Precision Medicine through Liquid Biopsy Technologies

The Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (ACRI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1998. Located at Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, ACRI employs a research team of over 50 people that is striving to innovate by accelerating its understanding of cancer, thus paving the way to better diagnosis, more accurate patient stratification and drug discovery.

With funding of up to $3,000,000 from the AIF, ACRI will develop a new approach to the detection and monitoring of biomarkers of cancer (and potentially other diseases) in bodily fluids, thus reducing the need for invasive biopsy procedures.  If successful, this technology will result in products and services in diagnostic and therapeutic areas that could lead to strong potential revenues for ACRI.

This project will contribute to building capacity in the region in a growing field of personalized medicine and position Moncton as a biomedical hub in Canada.

Other key collaborators in this project include: Exactis (Qc), New England Peptide (MA), Mycodev Group (NB), Soricimed Biopharma Inc. (NB), and Cynvenio (CA), will also be involved in this project.

ACOA’s Innovation Programming

ACOA’s innovation programming, which includes the Atlantic Innovation Fund and the Business Development Program, responds to the evolving needs of Atlantic businesses and researchers. It is designed to help bring to market new products, technologies and services that will improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Atlantic economy. These programs also provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises across the region to acquire or adapt innovative technologies that can improve their productivity and competitiveness, while also enabling them to build the skills they need to innovate and compete in today’s global economy.

Since January 2016, the Government of Canada through ACOA, has announced investments of over $27 million for 13 innovation and R&D projects in the Atlantic region. New investments totaling up to $11 million will be announced over the coming weeks, bringing ACOA’s total investments for innovation projects in 2016 to over $38 million.

Investing in Innovation in Atlantic Canada

AIF investments since January 2016