Zucara Therapeutics Inc. is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based pre-clinical life sciences company that is advancing a long-term novel approach to prevent low blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Founded in 2015, the organization is a spin-out company from the Centre for Drug Research & Development and MaRS Innovation. Today, Zucara Therapeutics is partnering with professors from the University of Toronto and York University who have developed evidence to show that the pancreatic cells that help regulate low blood sugar are compromised in individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
Zucara Therapeutics will receive up to $350,000 in Canadian government grants through the NRC-IRAP research funding program.
The National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) supports innovative research and development projects by enabling companies to overcome internal technical challenges. With IRAP funding, Zucara will have the capability to conduct necessary validation work to further advance their pre-clinical practices.
IRAP Grant Awards $350,000 for Research and Development
With IRAP funding support, Zucara Therapeutics Inc. will initiate further testing, toxicology, safety, and efficacy studies. These components are required for human testing and will lead to the start of a Phase 1 clinical trial for 2019. If the company creates a drug that prevents low blood sugar in people with diabetes, it will drastically improve disease management and quality of life among those afflicted.
NRC-IRAP funding is awarding $350,000 to Zucara Therapeutics to offset the costs to test, formulate, and manufacture drugs for human critical trials.
Research grants provided through the Industrial Research Assistance Program will help Zucara Therapeutics to further the development of their innovative health technologies. The company will partner with Dr. Michael Riddell at York University, who focuses on metabolism and exercise physiology in diabetes. His core research areas include the relationship between diabetes and exercise, as well as nutrition and treatment of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
“The continued support from NCR-IRAP has been instrumental in funding the R&D required to advance an effective therapy for patients with diabetes.”
– Michael Midmer, Chief Executive Officer of Zucara Therapeutics
About the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
The Industrial Research Assistance Program offers research grants to Canadian companies that develop or innovate leading-edge technologies. It provides multiple streams of funding to support Canadian innovators overcoming internal challenges arising throughout the product development process. Two of IRAP’s most popular streams include:
- IRAP Mid-Sized Projects: Focus is on overcoming risks and technical challenges that occur through the expansion and commercialization of products.
- IRAP Accelerated Review Process: Focus is on resolving internal technical challenges, adopting leading-edge technologies and processing improvements. These projects are oriented towards early-stage research and development activities and the investigation of new technology-based opportunities.
Through IRAP’s streams, businesses may receive up to 50-80% of eligible costs to a maximum of $10 million.
The NRC-IRAP funding program was recently expanded through Canada’s 2018 federal budget. Businesses should consider using IRAP’s innovation funding programs to reduce labour costs resulting from research and development projects.
Learn More About Research Grants for Business Innovation
If your business innovates by developing new products, processes or services, a significant amount of federal and provincial funding exists to support projects.
To learn more about research grants and other funding programs that can offset the costs of R&D, please register for Mentor Works’ Government Funding Snapshot Newsletter.