Canadian biopharmaceutical company Glycovax Pharma Inc announced on Wednesday an exclusive global licence agreement with Université Laval in Quebec, granting Glycovax the rights to develop and commercialise a family of compounds targeting galectin-3, a cellular protein involved in multiple biological processes and recognised for its role in the development of numerous fibrotic diseases and other pathologies.

This agreement is based on intellectual property protected by international patent applications and it strengthens Glycovax's development portfolio built on a high-potential therapeutic approach.

Led by Professor Denis Giguère, the team from Université Laval's Department of Chemistry has developed a new generation of derivatives of known compounds aimed at addressing certain pharmacological limitations and improving selectivity for galectin-3, with the objective of optimising the therapeutic potential of this approach.

Professor Giguère is a researcher specialising in medicinal chemistry and natural product synthesis, recognised for his expertise in carbohydrate chemistry and the design of complex molecules.

According to Glycovax, this agreement will help propel a breakthrough technology stemming from Professor Giguère's work and supported by strong international intellectual property. Building on exclusive expertise in carbohydrate chemistry and Glycovax's know-how, the development programme is now entering an acceleration phase, aimed at advancing a candidate with significant clinical and commercial potential.