重口味SM

The next blockbuster? U of T startup Protagenic Therapeutics goes public on U.S. stock market

Company fuelled by ongoing discoveries at U of T
Lovejoy lab
Protagenic Therapeutics comes from research done at David Lovejoy's lab. From left to right, Dr. David Hogg, Professor David Lovejoy, master's students Mia Husic and Ola Michalec and PhD researcher Andrea D'Aquila (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The fortuitous discovery of an ancient gene, which made the leap from bacteria to animals hundreds of millions of years ago, could be the next billion-dollar breakthrough in the antidepressant market.

Bigger than Prozac? Maybe.

A game-changer in the industry if approved? Absolutely, says David Lovejoy, a U of T neuroendocrinology professor.

The company, Protagenic Therapeutics, founded on research conducted in Lovejoy's lab at the Ramsay Wright building, took a leap forward by getting listed on the New York-based OTCQB stock exchange, considered a stepping stone to the NASDAQ.

鈥淭his is an entirely new gene, a new process and a paradigm shift in terms of how we look at drugs to relate to stress-associated pathology like depression, anxiety, addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some of the more psychotic conditions like bipolar and schizophrenia,鈥 Lovejoy explains.

鈥淭his could lead to an entirely novel approach to treat addiction.鈥

And, he says U of T was the source of all the research behind the hormonal drugs tied to this gene.

Thirteen years ago, Lovejoy and his team of student researchers were looking for a family of four genes tied to the stress response in animals when they identified a novel but related gene that was 鈥渟pecial.鈥

鈥淎s soon as we had the gene, I went to the 重口味SM Innovations Office [now Innovations & Partnership Office (IPO)] . . . and they got very excited,鈥 says Lovejoy of the Faculty of Arts & Science. As the son of an engineer and businessman, early on he was instilled with the importance of ensuring his research had a practical outlook.

U of T encouraged and supported him in the creation of a company, which eventually located its headquarters in New York City with 鈥渁 very enthusiastic investor.鈥 A Canadian subsidiary is located in Toronto.

鈥淭hey were absolutely fantastic,鈥 Lovejoy says of IPO. 鈥淭hey got us involved with a number of people and introduced us to business development officers . . . Had I not received that support, we would have never gone forward.鈥

So how does an ancient gene impact our emotional states in this fast-paced modern world?

During the process of evolution, Lovejoy鈥檚 鈥渟pecial鈥 gene became important for the normal function of brain cells in humans. Protagenic鈥檚 natural hormone drugs are based on a small protein encoded by this gene, located on the X chromosome.

When stressed, cells are starved for nutrients. He describes the response as similar to when we have bills piling up and not enough money in our bank accounts to pay.

鈥淚f someone hands you a cheque for a $100,000, you don鈥檛 have that stress. That鈥檚 what this hormone does,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t protects the cells and turns on their ability to utilize nutrients against neurodegeneration and stressors, but it鈥檚 completely natural . . .

鈥淭his hormone is so important in humans there are virtually four identical copies of it. It鈥檚 the only hormone that is that well conserved. It鈥檚 that important. It predates insulin, and yet it does a lot of the same things that insulin does.鈥

At this time, Protagenic Therapeutics is well into its preclinical work and is expected to start phase 1 clinical trials later this year or early next year for use in treating depression, anxiety and addiction, Lovejoy says. If deemed safe and approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, their product could be on the market in as little as six years.

Going public will help fund these trials, which can take tens of millions of dollars and years to complete. But he says his company has two important advantages: they have a drug that is different, i.e. not in competition with previously approved offerings, and the drug comes from natural hormones 鈥渢hat the body is already prepared to deal with.鈥

The experience of creating a startup and launching the company publicly has been an exciting ride, Lovejoy says, adding he鈥檚 open to talking to fellow academics about taking the plunge.

It鈥檚 an idea with growing interest on campus. In the years since he created his company, the number of faculty research-based startups and inventions has skyrocketed at the 重口味SM.

From 2011-2015, IPO reported 837 inventions, 244 patent applications and 89 research-based startups. Those with licensing agreements with U of T 鈥 like Protagenic Therapeutics 鈥 have generated $49 million in revenue.

鈥淭he interaction of Protagenic Therapeutics, the 重口味SM, our department of Cell and Systems Biology and our IP people has been instrumental in our success,鈥 he says. 鈥淢y grad students and a number of my undergrad students are gaining training in understanding the commercialization process. Indeed, some of them are named as co-inventors on patents.

鈥淚 think we鈥檝e achieved a seamless transition between academia, patent protection and commercialization.鈥

Andrea D鈥橝quila, a PhD student in Prof. Lovejoy鈥檚 lab, agrees.

鈥淔ew academic laboratories provide experiences with both academia and industry,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have been able to publish in academic journals, as well as being named as a co-inventor on patent applications. As a scientist-in-training, it鈥檚 one of the best experiences to understand both sides of the coin in discovery and development.鈥

Jennifer Fraser, IPO鈥檚 current director, adds that the university is proud to have been a part of the project.

鈥 We knew it would be several years before a product would make it to market, but we were able to identify a unique investor,鈥 Fraser says. 鈥淒r. Lovejoy鈥檚 passion came through in our discussions with them. That made all the difference.鈥

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