Opioids have traditionally been the most effective way to reduce pain after surgery, but they’re incredibly addictive and cause a host of unwanted side effects. Molly Shoichet, a renowned University Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, has invented with her team an injectable hydrogel capable of delivering non-opioid painkillers exactly where they’re needed, potentially reducing reliance on the problematic drugs.
Shoichet commercialized the discovery in 2016 with her third startup, AmacaThera, co-founded with Mike Cooke, a post-doctoral researcher in her lab at that time. The scientists took advantage of U of T’s entrepreneurship support system, taking part in the Creative Destruction Lab and UTEST (University of Toronto Early-Stage Technology) accelerators as they developed their business plan. U of T’s extensive hospital network also helped them connect with surgeons as they developed their product. To date, they’ve raised over USD$15M from institutional investors and venture capital funds including Lumira Ventures, NorthSpring Capital Partners, StandUp Ventures, the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund and BDC Capital as well as private investors including Paul M. Austin and P. Gael Mourant.The serial entrepreneur and multi-award-winning professor is one of a growing number of U of T faculty innovators who work with their students and the university to move their research out of the lab and into the market to benefit society. At U of T, 75 per cent of research-based university startups involve a faculty member and student on the same team.
Early-stage clinical trials have shown promising results, and the team believes AmacaThera’s AmacaGel will help deliver a wide range of therapeutics throughout the body – including small molecules, biologics and stem cells. The startup recently partnered with a leading global pharmaceutical company to produce a single-injection long-acting biologic drug.
“It’s so exciting to have something you invented turn into a product and, while we’re not there yet, our human clinical data is compelling, setting us up for success,” Shoichet said. “There’s a lot in our pipeline and a lot to look forward to.”
