Tuesday, September 1, 2009

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Doctor finds niche in brain research

Burke Campbell,  Financial Post

Handout photo

ANGIOCHEM

angiochem.com

CEO: Dr. Jean-Paul Castaigne

Location: Montreal

Dr. Jean-Paul Castaigne seemed destined for a career in medicine: Three of
his four siblings are doctors. The Paris-born doctor specialized in oncology at
the University of Paris and held senior positions with pharmaceutical giants
including Johnson & Johnson and Novartis, before landing in Montreal in
1994.

In 2005, Dr. Castaigne joined AngioChem, a two-year-old venture founded by a
team of investors including the Business Development Bank of Canada. At
AngioChem Dr. Castaigne has spent his time working on getting past the
protective brain/blood barrier, which welcomes substances the brain needs, such
as glucose, while blocking anything it views as foreign. It even shuts out
beneficial drugs.

AngioChem appears to be on the verge of developing drugs to treat brain
disease. Recent trials show its drugs can enter the brain, retaining the
necessary potency to treat diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative
diseases, opening possibilities for treating Alzheimers and chronic
depression.

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