CCRM and Amgen Partner to Advance Emerging Medical Innovations

New regenerative medicine discoveries, including cell and gene therapies, will never reach patients without access to the funding, expertise and other specialized support that are required to move along the commercialization pathway. To address this need, CCRM, a leader in developing and commercializing regenerative medicine-based technologies and cell and gene therapies, and Amgen, a global leader in the biotechnology industry, are announcing a multi-year fund, for early-stage regenerative medicine-based technologies and therapies to benefit patients and the health-care system. The collaboration is made up of equivalent investments from CCRM and Amgen.

To bridge the gap from bench to bedside, the program will identify, develop and commercialize promising technologies and therapies arising from research conducted in institutions that form CCRM’s global network. CCRM and Amgen’s contributions will range from financial support to in-kind technical services and expertise.

“CCRM’s collaboration with Amgen to create this fund is a perfect example of how public-private partnerships can leverage resources and expertise to support development and commercialization, and change patients’ lives,” said Michael May, president and CEO, CCRM. “The regenerative medicine research ecosystem across Canada offers a rich discovery pipeline and it is ready for such a program.”

Alan Russell, vice president, research, Amgen, said, “There are few places in the world that have clustered all the necessary resources and talent to drive regenerative medicine from the bench to the bedside. Canada has consistently led the way for decades. Amgen is delighted to have the opportunity to partner with CCRM and leverage an extraordinary platform to benefit patients.”

To identify opportunities, a Joint Steering Committee, made up of representatives from both CCRM and Amgen, will assess proposals from CCRM’s Canadian and international member institutions. Selected projects will possess high scientific merit, be developed by scientists and academics with established credentials and expertise, and demonstrate the greatest potential to have an impact in the industry.

Regenerative medicine, including cell and gene therapy, harnesses the power of (stem) cells, biomaterials, molecules and genetic modification to repair, regenerate or replace diseased cells, tissues and organs. It has the promise of creating revolutionary new treatments for devastating and costly conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.