Diabetes Research In Biotech companies

ConjuChem Inc. (TSX: CJC)

www.conjuchem.com

CEO: Mark D. Perrin

COO: Jean-Paul Castaigne

53 employees

R&D 2006: CAN$ 30.8 million

ConjuChem has pioneered a biotechnology that can extend the half-life of a peptide from minutes to days. This increased half-life eliminates the key historical limitation of commercializing peptides. This extended duration of activity results from bonding the peptide to the most abundant protein in serum, albumin, in a process called in vivo bioconjugation.

In addition, ConjuChem's DAC™ (drug affinity construct) Technology also reduces a drug's toxicity profile.

ConjuChem is working in diabetes on a promising class of drugs based on a peptide that occurs naturally in humans called GLP-1. Its DAC™:GLP-1 construct is currently in phase II clinical trials.

Theratechnologies Inc. (TSX: TH)

www.theratech.com

CEO: Yves Rosconi

VP Research: Krishna Peri, Ph.D.

70 employees

R&D 2006: CAN$ 22 million

Theratechnologies is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic peptides for endocrine and metabolic disorders. Through an important discovery made by its research scientists, Theratechnologies has distinguished itself in the highly promising field of therapeutic peptides. This discovery consists in adding a hydrophobic moiety to peptides in order to slow enzymatic degradation and increase their half-life. This method prolongs the duration of action of the peptides (which become LAP or Long Acting Peptides); it also increases their bioavailability, improves their efficacy, and preserves their specificity. In addition to being efficacious at low doses, molecules emerging from the LAP technology are very specific and similar to the natural peptide, thus reducing the risk of toxicity and side effects.

This method has been used to create Theratechnologies' ThGLP-1 peptide for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes which is currently in phase I clinical trial.

Innodia Inc.

www.innodia-inc.com

CEO: Claude Vezeau

CSO: Nigel Levens, Ph.D.

Innodia aims at developing new classes of anti-diabetic agents. It has brought ID 1101, its lead compound, into Phase I clinical trial. It has also obtained in vivo proof of concept of ID 1738, a potent gluco-related insulin secretagogue.

ID 1101 is a unique dual-activity antidiabetic drug. It increases insulin release in a physiological gluco-related manner and it increases peripheral sensitivity to insulin, thereby increasing glucose uptake.

ID 1738 is a synthetic P2Y receptor agonist currently in pre-clinical development.

Innodia has also identified NOSc-PIN, a protein complex playing a major role in insulin secretion by the pancreatic β-cells and a novel target for the discovery of new anti-diabetes drugs.

This document had been prepared by: Montréal International