9BioThérapeutiques and TransBIOTech Secure $450,000 Applied Research and Development (ARD) Grant to Accelerate Oncology Innovation
This multi-year funding aims to advance promising cancer therapies by conducting preclinical toxicity and efficacy studies required for regulatory approvals for clinical trials.
Quebec City, QC, March 20, 2025 – 9Bio Thérapeutiques, a biotechnology company specializing in the development of next-generation oncology therapies, announced today, in partnership with TransBIOTech (Lévis, QC), that it has secured a $450,000 grant. This applied research and development (ARD) funding is awarded under the Colleges and Community Innovation (CCI) Program, administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
This three-year federal investment enables 9Bio Thérapeutiques to leverage TransBIOTech's recognized expertise in preclinical research to advance its innovative portfolio of targeted oncology therapies. Complementing a recently awarded Partenar-IA grant from CQDM, this funding will accelerate the development of two therapeutic candidates towards clinical trials, thereby strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in biotechnology.
TransBIOTech, a College Technology Transfer Center (CCTT) and non-profit organization specializing in applied research, including the preclinical development of drug candidates, will contribute its established expertise in preclinical studies required to meet regulatory authority standards. These studies notably include functional tests on the immune system, evaluation of tumor cell destruction, and in vivo studies on the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and mechanism of action of the candidate therapies. These trials will support regulatory submissions and facilitate progression to clinical trials.
The therapeutic molecules evaluated in these studies originate from 9Bio's discovery efforts and will be supplied by 9Bio, which will retain full control over their development, regulatory strategy, and commercialization. In accordance with its business model, TransBIOTech will not claim any intellectual property (IP) rights under this agreement.
“9Bio’s platform harnesses the power of computational biology to rapidly develop conditionally active therapies. The validation of our models and the development of our therapies require cutting-edge technologies and scientific expertise of excellence,” stated Philipe Gobeil, Co-founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer of 9Bio Thérapeutiques. “This collaboration with TransBIOTech is a key element of our preclinical development strategy and will accelerate our transition to clinical trials.”
Fred Couture, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences at TransBIOTech, adds: “We are delighted to support 9Bio’s work and contribute to the advancement of innovative therapies. This funding underscores the importance of collaborations in applied research to drive biotechnology innovation and provide new treatments for patients who do not respond to current therapies or require more tolerable options. Alongside co-investigators Prof. Yvan Boutin and Prof. Marie-Eve Janelle, we will dedicate our expertise to accelerating 9Bio’s preclinical development.”
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About 9BioThérapeutiques
9Bio is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative oncology therapies. Our AI-guided structural biology platform integrates anatomical and biochemical contexts to design drugs that selectively target tumors. Through this approach, we develop tumor-specific drugs while preserving healthy tissues, thereby enhancing safety and efficacy, and paving the way for previously underexploited therapeutic modalities. Our pipeline includes three discovery-phase therapies: an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting tumor cells, an ADC targeting tumor-subverted immune cells, and a modified cytokine. More information at https://9bio.ca/fr/
About TransBIOTech
TransBIOTech, a College Technology Transfer Center (CCTT) affiliated with Cégep de Lévis, QC, Canada, is a non-profit organization specializing in biotechnology. Since 1999, TransBIOTech has offered expert support in drug development, providing services in pharmacology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology. TransBIOTech researchers leverage their expertise and advanced methodologies to evaluate the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of therapeutic candidates at various stages of preclinical development.
