Asthma affects 1 in 8 Canadian children and is the leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations with costs to Canadian health caresystems estimated to exceed 4.2Billion/year by 2030. While the causes are still debated, infant prematurity is a strong predictor forasthma.

Market approval of generic products requires that such products are shown to have equivalent safety and efficacy as the innovator product currently on the market. In general, generic topical dermatological products require comparative clinical trials in patients which require a large number of patients, are expensive and lengthy. This has led to a shortage of generic medicines that are meant to be applied to the skin. We developed a surrogate method to assess the safety and efficacy using tape stripping of human skin which is a relatively non-invasive technique.

Designing new anticancer agents using structure based drug design and the 3D structure of the biological targetis becoming an increasingly important field of study. The main objective of this project is to develop and identifyanticancer drug candidate(s) for advanced preclinical testing, with the end goal of identifying drug candidatessuitable for clinical trials and commercialization. Currently, we have synthesized several novel drug candidatesdesigned to mitigate the increased toxicological effects observed in a significant proportion of patients receivingcurrent therapies.

The project aims to use models that describe clotting factor activity in blood after an infusion in patients with hemophilia to calculate their pharmacokinetics (PK). PK is used in this disease to help in selecting the right dose for the patient. The partnership with Hemalytic will provide them with necessary expertise in the use of these models. The PK model are central to the objective of analyzing data from various sources to assess the use of extended half-life clotting factor products in Canada.

G protein coupled receptors (GCPRs) are proteins found at the surface of cells are responsible for activating numerous intracellular signaling pathways and thus are involved in regulating about every physiological response. Activation of GPCRs occurs via a diverse array of stimuli as varied as photons, lipids, ions, small hormone or neurotransmitters through to larger peptidic and protein molecules. Currently, GPCRs are currently the target of up to 40% of marketed drugs.

In about 4% of patients that have had an abdominal surgery ranging from a C-section, to appendectomy, to removal of the gall bladder, they will develop bands of scar tissue that can cause extreme pain and/or life-threatening complications such as bowel obstruction which requires emergency operation. The only temporary cure is a second operation which usually only provides temporary relief. No therapeutic is available to prevent adhesion formation. We have the technology to look inside the belly and see these adhesions form and we discovered how this happens.

Infiltration of the heart with the protein transthyretin (TTR) commonly leads to the development of cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) and heart failure. Once considered rare, advancements in testing have led to the finding that ATTR-CM is much more prevalent. However, no current data exists in a Canadian population. Therefore, this project will determine the how prevalent ATTR-CM is in patients undergoing cardiac surgery at the New Brunswick Heart Center (NBHC). Furthermore, we will determine whether ATTR-CM is associated with worsened outcomes, including mortality, following an intervention.

Health Utilities (HUs) measure patient preferences and can be used to monitor quality-of-life (QoL) and calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), which are used in economic evaluations assessing treatment interventions.

This research project employs novel bioprospecting technologies for pioneering research and development of unique bioparticles that have cross sector applications. Intern will have the opportunity to work on the frontiers of nanobioparticle academic research using extraction and formulation technologies that will lead to next generation products and ingredients for consumer-packaged goods, agri food tech and medicine. There’s an increasing need and demand for more effective nutritional supplementation.

Inflammation of the brain is a symptom of many different types of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. If left untreated, the inflammation can become a chronic problem that causes further damage to the brain. Different types of cannabinoids are a promising source of potential treatments to dampen inflammation in the central nervous system without the side effects that accompany other anti-inflammatory drugs. Panag Pharma Inc.