PlantForm wins at MaRS HealthKick

PlantForm took top honours at MaRS HealthKick 2014 on May 15, winning a $20,000 cash prize in the pitching competition’s biotechnology and pharmaceuticals track. PlantForm was one of 45 companies competing in three tracks before a panel of distinguished judges at the healthcare venture showcase.

“We’re thrilled and honoured to win at HealthKick,” said Dr. Don Stewart, PlantForm President and CEO. “It’s important recognition and validation of our technology and business model by leading experts in the industry.

“Our plant-based biopharmaceutical platform will disrupt the biopharmaceutical industry’s status quo manufacturing model by significantly reducing the cost of producing important medications for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. This will expand patient access in markets around the world, and alleviate the financial burden on healthcare systems.”

See HealthKick event photos.
 
PlantForm engages Bloom Burton & Co.

PlantForm has engaged Bloom Burton & Co. Inc. for strategic advisory services to support the company’s growth and development.

“We are pleased to work with the Bloom Burton team to evaluate our business development and financing strategies in the medium- to long-term,” said Dr. Stewart. “Bloom Burton is Canada's leading healthcare investment banking group. We look forward to benefitting from their expertise in order to maximize the commercial opportunities for our plant-based biopharmaceutical manufacturing platform.”

“Bloom Burton & Co. is excited to work with PlantForm to further the commercialization of this important manufacturing technology. The high cost of biopharmaceuticals places a significant burden on society, and we believe PlantForm’s technology will be instrumental in bringing lower- cost biosimilar products to the market,” said Jolyon Burton, CEO and Head of Investment Banking at Bloom Burton & Co.

Read the news release.
 
Industry Partner Award

Conestoga College presented PlantForm with its Biotechnology Technician Program Industry Partner Award 2014 at a ceremony April 10.

PlantForm has made many significant contributions to the program since it began in 2006, said program coordinator Lindsay Schalm.

Dr. J. Christopher Hall, PlantForm’s Chief Scientific Officer, has been a member of the program’s advisory committee since its inception and “his insight and commitment to help us develop an outstanding program is greatly appreciated,” Schalm said.

PlantForm lab technician John Teat, a graduate of the program, regularly provides guest lectures, and this year the company participated in the program’s Life Sciences Research Project – an “invaluable” experience for the students, Schalm noted.
 
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