Kalgene licenses NRC molecule for Alzheimer's drug

Kingston-based Kalgene Pharmaceuticals Inc has been granted an exclusive worldwide licence from the National Research Council (NRC) for a promising therapeutic molecule in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. The company aims to conduct pre-clinical testing of the molecule which targets amyloid beta plaques (abnormal clusters of protein fragments that build up between brain nerve cells) by combining it with NRC's carrier antibodies to move it past the blood-brain barrier. The market for an effective, early-stage drug to combat Alzheimer's is enormous. In Canada alone, the cost of dementia care is $15 billion annually and is expected to increase to more than $150 billion by 2038. Kalgene is partnering with the Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization and McGill Univ's Montreal Neurological Institute to access the most advanced diagnostic techniques....