Trois-Rivières, January 16, 2020 – Innovation et Développement économique Trois-Rivières is proud to announce the arrival of GuardRX to its Technocentre. GuardRX is a non-profit organization whose mission is to participate in the preclinical and clinical development of prophylactic and therapeutic products against neglected diseases with no traditional avenue of commercialization.
GuardRX was founded in 2018 by Dr. Gary Kobinger, microbiologist, Director of the Infectious Diseases Research Centre of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre and a world leader in vaccine research. In recent years, Dr. Kobinger’s work has contributed to the development of the ZMapp treatment and ERVEBO vaccine against the serious and often fatal Ebola virus, which was recently licensed in Europe and the United States.
In addition to Dr. Kobinger, GuardRX is led by world-renowned research experts including Bruce Clark, President and CEO of Medicago Inc. Larry Zeitlin, President of Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. Amadou Sall, Director of the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal, and Brad Goble, Director of Goble Consulting Inc.
Dr. Kobinger’s team will occupy a laboratory at the IDE Trois-Rivières Technocentre. In the coming months, his research will focus on treating diseases such as Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and some diseases caused by respiratory viruses. Note that no pathogens will be handled from the Technocentre.
“Our goal is to develop vaccines and treatments, and possibly medical equipment, in a non-profit structure that creates good jobs and solves real public health problems. The Lassa virus, among others, has about 3,000 infections per year, mostly in Africa, and has a mortality rate of 35%,” says Dr. Kobinger.
Field work in Africa will also keep GuardRX researchers busy. “Through the construction of clinics, we will assist local teams in the diagnosis and detection of pathogens. We will also train them to conduct clinical studies on vaccines, ensuring that they use good laboratory practices so that the accumulated data can be recognised by the major regulatory agencies,” explains the scientist.
Field work in Africa will also keep GuardRX researchers busy. “Through the construction of clinics, we will assist local teams in the diagnosis and detection of pathogens. We will also train them to conduct clinical studies on vaccines, ensuring that they use good laboratory practices so that the accumulated data can be recognised by the major regulatory agencies,” explains the scientist.
Source:
Gary Kobinger
Director
GuardRX
Information:
Josiane Gagnon
Communications Advisor
IDE Trois-Rivières
819-374-4061, ext. 5129