September 25, 2006 Source: :
http://www.dal.ca/news/media/2006/2006-09-25.html Dalhousie and SCIREQ Inc. form joint venture for asthma products Dalhousie University and SCIREQ Scientific Respiratory Equipment Inc. (Montreal) announced today that they have agreed on terms for a new collaborative venture in the area of Asthma. SCIREQ has been collaborating for several years with Dr. Geoff Maksym and his colleagues in the department of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie and over the years a number of patents have been filed by SCIREQ and Dalhousie on novel methods and equipment for measuring airway function in both adults and children. Dalhousie and SCIREQ have agreed to jointly fund the startup of a new company in Halifax which will commercialize the joint research programs between the company and the university, develop products for the market, manufacture and sell new medical devices for lung function measurement. Under terms of the agreement Dalhousie will receive equity, annual payments and royalties on product sales from the new venture. Dr. Ronald Layden, Executive Director of ILI at Dalhousie stated, "This is an excellent commercialization outlet for the university where the risk in developing a spinout venture is shared with an experienced corporate partner and the potential for economic development will reside in Atlantic Canada, specifically Halifax, Nova Scotia." Dr. Thomas Schuessler, president and CEO of SCIREQ voiced his strong support for the project, "We have for many years developed, manufactured and sold devices for preclinical and pharmacological research, and we are very excited to work with Dr. Geoff Maksym at Dalhousie to develop new medical devices for the diagnosis of asthma and other pulmonary diseases. This is a great step forward for us and has been made possible by the excellent research collaboration that we have developed over the years with Dalhousie and Geoff." The location in Halifax for the new venture has not yet been decided, but the company is expected to be fully functional by early 2007. About SCIREQ Scientific Respiratory Equipment Inc – www.scireq.com: Located in Montreal, Quebec, SCIREQ develops, manufactures and distributes advanced products primarily, but not exclusively for preclinical pulmonary research. The company specializes in accurate measurements of respiratory mechanics as well as integrated tools for aerosol delivery, inhalation exposure and precision data acquisition for the life sciences. About Dalhousie University - www.dal.ca: Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1818, Dalhousie attracts students from around the world. Dalhousie is a comprehensive, research-intensive university with more than 15,500 students. In The Scientist magazine, it was recently named one of the best non-commercial places to work as a scientific researcher outside the United States. The Industry Liaison and Innovation office - www.dalinnovation.com: commercializes research at Dalhousie University, manages and facilitates collaborations between companies and university researchers and assists in the creation of spin-off ventures. Media inquiries, contact:
Dr. Ronald Layden, Executive Director, Office of Industry Liaison and Innovation, Dalhousie University: 902.494.3237, relayden@dal.ca
Dr. Thomas Schuessler, President and CEO, SCIREQ Inc., 514.286.1627, thomas@scireq.com
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