News

WORLDiscoveries established ProMotion Therapeutics based on Dr. Arthur Brown’s innovative research into spinal cord injuries in April 2011.

“It’s a good fit,” says Sandy Vascotto, Business Development Manager at WORLDiscoveries. ProMotion Therapeutics is an example of what WORLDiscoveries® does best – taking leading-edge Canadian health sciences research, pairing it with investors, and making a profit while advancing Canadian innovation.

The new company has partnered with one of the largest biotechnology firms in Beijing, China to develop Dr. Brown’s work into a marketable product. “There’s risktolerant capital in China and overseas, so we’re leveraging that to be able to advance the development that we would use for the rest of the world,” says Dr. Vascotto.

Dr. Brown’s research began with understanding what causes the process of scarring after an injury because, in the nervous system, scarring impedes recovery. Using specially developed tools, Dr. Brown has demonstrated that blocking a master protein called SOX9 improves the recovery of mice after a spinal cord injury. Mice that were unable to produce SOX9 had less scarring, better coordination, and better mobility than normal mice with the same injuries.

The implications for humans are profound. Currently, there are no effective treatments for the spinal cord injuries that devastate the lives of more than 12,000 Canadians annually. Spinal cord injuries not only result in permanent disability to individuals, but also result in a large socioeconomic burden to society.

Dr. Vascotto points out that Dr. Brown’s discoveries could also benefit patients with a variety of injuries and diseases, including those recovering from stroke. And that means a larger potential market for his findings.

“Because inhibiting SOX9 is a basic mechanism for regeneration …. It seems like it may have broad application to a variety of nervous system diseases,” says Dr. Brown.

Dr. Brown already has an understanding of what compounds could inhibit SOX9 in humans. These compounds have already been approved for human use in other contexts.

It’s a promising start for ProMotion Therapeutics.

Since its inception 36 months ago, WORLDiscoveries has found an “edge” by dramatically expanding the profile and return performance of London’s research-driven commercial portfolio. Our success has been so great that the enterprise is ranked among the top commercialization centres in Canada. WORLDiscoveries continues to lead the nation in the number of new spin-off companies created over the past three years, and can boast of an impressive list of private-sector licensing partners that span the globe.

It is my distinct pleasure to share with you WORLDiscoveries® Annual Report for the 2011 fiscal year. The Report, entitled “Leading Edge”, WORLDiscoveries third such publication since its inception in 2008, builds on the organization’s momentum of the past three years and highlights some of London’s more notable commercialization and technology transfer successes over the past year.

Specifically, Leading Edge features some of the exceptional people and partners behind some of the more promising marketready innovations under development at the University of Western Ontario and the City of London’s research hospitals, as well as some game-changing technologies that will form the next wave of commercial success over the next 2-3 years.

The Report also proudly showcases our WORLDiscoveries team and some of the more innovative means and methods that they are now employing to move our inventions to market. Finally, Leading Edge details our commercial progress over the past year including our continued commitment to the economic and social welfare of our hometown, our region and our nation.

WORLDiscoveries is proud of its contribution to our institutional partners and the City of London as we continue to aggressively move technologies, tools and talent to market for the collective benefit of our clients and our community.

Paul Paolatto
Executive Director