CTI Life Sciences

CTI Life Sciences is a Montreal-based venture capital firm that specializes in investing in emerging life sciences companies at various stages of development, particularly from pre-clinical to proof-of-concept and from proof-of-concept to Phase III. The firm focuses on sectors such as biotechnology, medical technology, biopharmaceuticals, and medical devices, primarily targeting companies located in North America, with a significant emphasis on the United States and Canada, especially Quebec. CTI Life Sciences typically invests between $5 million to $15 million in early-stage companies and $25 million to $50 million in later-stage ventures, with structured financial parameters for pre-money and post-money valuations. The firm aims to exit its investments through mergers and acquisitions. Founded in 2006, CTI Life Sciences manages approximately $245 million in assets.

Anjan Aralihalli

Venture Partner

Youssef Bennani

Managing Partner

Xin Hang

Principal

Jean-Francois Leprince

Managing Partner

Ken Pastor

Managing Partner

Laurence Rulleau Ph.D

Managing Partner

Laurence Terrisse-Rulleau

Partner

Shermaine Tilley Ph.D

Managing Partner

32 past transactions

Domain Therapeutics

Series A in 2022
Domain Therapeutics SA is a biopharmaceutical company based in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France, specializing in the discovery and early development of small molecules targeting G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). Founded in 2001, the company focuses on developing therapeutics for Central Nervous System diseases and cancer. It employs innovative technologies, including its proprietary DTect-All platform, which identifies both orthosteric and allosteric ligands, including Silent Allosteric Modulators (SAMs). This platform is particularly adept at addressing challenging GPCRs, such as orphan and peptidic receptors. Additionally, Domain Therapeutics offers BioSens-All, a platform designed to explore the signaling complexity associated with GPCR activation. The company, formerly known as Faust Pharmaceuticals SA, rebranded in December 2008 to reflect its focus on GPCR-targeted therapeutics.

Epitopea

Seed Round in 2022
Epitopea is a transatlantic biotechnology company developing transformational immunotherapies to treat cancer by targeting a new class of antigens that are broadly shared between patients with the same cancer indication. Cryptigen™ TSAs are discovered by a proprietary approach deploying immunopetidomics, mass spectrometry, genomics, and bioinformatics, which allows the identification of conserved, aberrantly-expressed, tumour-specific antigens, hidden in cancer's 'junk' DNA. These hidden Cryptigen™ TSAs have been identified by research led by Drs. Claude Perreault and Pierre Thibault at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at Université de Montréal.

Phenomic AI

Seed Round in 2020
Phenomic AI is a developer of a drug discovery platform designed to discovery and optimize therapeutics directly against phenotypic assays.The company's platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze phenotypes in complex disease models including high-content co-culture and 3D assays, enabling pharmaceutical companies to discover drugs in an easier way.

Find therapeutics

Seed Round in 2020
Find Therapeutics Inc. is a drug development technology company based in Saint-Laurent, Canada, focused on creating peptide-based therapies for inflammatory autoimmune diseases and rare fibrotic conditions affecting the airways, liver, and gastrointestinal systems. Established in 2020, the company employs a peptide discovery engine to design peptides that specifically target transmembrane domains of receptors involved in critical biological processes. In addition to its peptide therapies, Find Therapeutics is also engaged in developing allosteric modulators for G protein-coupled receptors, aiming to provide next-generation treatments for various autoimmune and rare diseases.

Phenomic AI

Seed Round in 2020
Phenomic AI is a developer of a drug discovery platform designed to discovery and optimize therapeutics directly against phenotypic assays.The company's platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze phenotypes in complex disease models including high-content co-culture and 3D assays, enabling pharmaceutical companies to discover drugs in an easier way.

Vaxcyte

Series D in 2020
Vaxcyte, formerly known as SutroVax, is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The Company’s cell-free protein synthesis platform, comprising the XpressCFTM platform, exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc., together with Vaxcyte’s proprietary know-how, enables the design and production of protein carriers and antigens, the critical building blocks of vaccines, in ways that the Company believes conventional vaccine technologies currently cannot. In addition to its pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in development, VAX-24 and VAX-XP, Vaxcyte is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance other novel vaccines, including a prophylactic vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infections (VAX-A1) and a therapeutic vaccine to treat periodontal disease (VAX-PG).

Phenomic AI

Seed Round in 2018
Phenomic AI is a developer of a drug discovery platform designed to discovery and optimize therapeutics directly against phenotypic assays.The company's platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze phenotypes in complex disease models including high-content co-culture and 3D assays, enabling pharmaceutical companies to discover drugs in an easier way.

Visterra

Series C in 2017
Visterra, Inc. engages in pharmaceutical drug research and development of therapeutic and diagnostic products for infectious diseases. It also provides structure-based design of therapeutics and diagnostic platforms, based on an understanding of glycobiology and glycochemistry. The company was formerly known as Parasol Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name in May 2010. Visterra, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

PreciThera

Series A in 2017
PreciThera, Inc. is a biotechnology company committed to the development of therapies for rare bone diseases using the combined application of computational technology and a deep understanding of disease pathology. The company focuses on heterogeneous genetic disorders that primarily manifest in bone dysfunction. In depth understanding of disease mechanism will allow PreciThera’s targeted strategies to meaningfully impact both the skeletal symptoms as well as the extraskeletal issues found in these patients.

PHEMI Systems Corp.

Series B in 2017
PHEMI Systems Corporation specializes in developing a privacy, security, governance, and data management system tailored for Microsoft Azure. Founded in 2013 and based in Vancouver, Canada, the company provides the PHEMI Data Privacy Manager, a cloud-based solution designed for the healthcare sector. This system addresses the critical need for organizations to secure and govern access to privacy-sensitive information while facilitating compliance with privacy regulations. Optimized for Microsoft Azure, the software connects to numerous data sources and integrates seamlessly with popular data science and business analysis tools. Built on a privacy-by-design architecture, PHEMI Data Privacy Manager supports data sharing and offers a flexible usage-based pricing model, making it scalable for organizations of varying sizes.

Vaxcyte

Series B in 2017
Vaxcyte, formerly known as SutroVax, is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The Company’s cell-free protein synthesis platform, comprising the XpressCFTM platform, exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc., together with Vaxcyte’s proprietary know-how, enables the design and production of protein carriers and antigens, the critical building blocks of vaccines, in ways that the Company believes conventional vaccine technologies currently cannot. In addition to its pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in development, VAX-24 and VAX-XP, Vaxcyte is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance other novel vaccines, including a prophylactic vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infections (VAX-A1) and a therapeutic vaccine to treat periodontal disease (VAX-PG).

CellAegis Devices

Series C in 2017
CellAegis Devices Inc. is a Toronto-based company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes medical devices aimed at enhancing cardiovascular care. Its flagship product, the autoRIC Device, delivers remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in a non-invasive manner, providing critical therapy to minimize heart damage during heart attacks and various cardiovascular procedures. Additionally, the company offers CRICtrac, a mobile application that enables clinicians to administer self-delivered chronic RIC therapy to patients at home. CellAegis Devices caters to a wide range of settings, including hospitals, ambulances, and home care, and serves markets in Canada, Europe, and the United States.

Ilkos Therapeutic

Series A in 2016
Ilkos Therapeutic is a company focused on developing an oral compound specifically designed to treat venous lower limb ulcers, a condition primarily affecting older adults. The firm capitalizes on Quebec's strong life sciences sector, leveraging its quality research and development infrastructure alongside available capital to advance new therapeutic solutions. By providing an effective treatment option for this challenging medical issue, Ilkos Therapeutic aims to enhance patient care and improve outcomes for those suffering from venous lower limb ulcers.

IMV Inc

Post in 2016
IMV Inc Inc. applies its novel adjuvanting platform to the development of vaccines for cancer therapy, infectious diseases and animal health. The Company’s DepoVax™ platform is a patented formulation that provides controlled and prolonged exposure of antigens plus adjuvant to the immune system. IMV Inc has advanced two DepoVax-based cancer vaccines into Phase I human clinical trials. The Company is also advancing a broad infectious disease pipeline including vaccines in such indications as malaria, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and anthrax. In addition to the Company’s human health vaccine strategy, it continues to capture value from animal health vaccine applications. IMV Inc has key partnerships in the animal health sector including an agreement with Pfizer Animal Health.

Visterra

Series C in 2016
Visterra, Inc. engages in pharmaceutical drug research and development of therapeutic and diagnostic products for infectious diseases. It also provides structure-based design of therapeutics and diagnostic platforms, based on an understanding of glycobiology and glycochemistry. The company was formerly known as Parasol Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name in May 2010. Visterra, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

DalCor Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2016
DalCor Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicine for cardiovascular diseases. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, the company aims to customize treatments based on patients' genetic profiles. Its lead product, dalcetrapib, is a cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor designed to reduce cardiovascular events in patients with a specific genetic marker in the ADCY9 gene. Clinical studies indicate that individuals with acute coronary syndrome who possess this genetic variant experience significantly fewer cardiovascular events when treated with dalcetrapib compared to placebo. DalCor has obtained a worldwide exclusive license from Roche for dalcetrapib and the associated ADCY9 genetic marker, underscoring its commitment to leveraging pharmacogenomics for enhanced patient outcomes. The company also maintains operational offices in the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Zymeworks

Series A in 2016
Zymeworks Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Vancouver, Canada, that specializes in the discovery, development, and commercialization of biotherapeutics, primarily for cancer treatment. The company’s leading candidates include ZW25, a bispecific antibody currently undergoing Phase I and II clinical trials targeting various cancers, and ZW49, a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate in Phase I trials for advanced HER2-expressing cancers. Zymeworks employs advanced computational biotechnology techniques, utilizing proprietary molecular modeling and high-performance computing to optimize therapeutic antibodies and other protein-based therapeutics. The company has established strategic partnerships and collaborations with several major pharmaceutical firms, including Merck, Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, among others, to enhance its research and development efforts. Founded in 2003, Zymeworks continues to focus on developing innovative solutions for cancer and other serious diseases.

PHEMI Systems Corp.

Series A in 2015
PHEMI Systems Corporation specializes in developing a privacy, security, governance, and data management system tailored for Microsoft Azure. Founded in 2013 and based in Vancouver, Canada, the company provides the PHEMI Data Privacy Manager, a cloud-based solution designed for the healthcare sector. This system addresses the critical need for organizations to secure and govern access to privacy-sensitive information while facilitating compliance with privacy regulations. Optimized for Microsoft Azure, the software connects to numerous data sources and integrates seamlessly with popular data science and business analysis tools. Built on a privacy-by-design architecture, PHEMI Data Privacy Manager supports data sharing and offers a flexible usage-based pricing model, making it scalable for organizations of varying sizes.

Vaxcyte

Series A in 2015
Vaxcyte, formerly known as SutroVax, is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The Company’s cell-free protein synthesis platform, comprising the XpressCFTM platform, exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc., together with Vaxcyte’s proprietary know-how, enables the design and production of protein carriers and antigens, the critical building blocks of vaccines, in ways that the Company believes conventional vaccine technologies currently cannot. In addition to its pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in development, VAX-24 and VAX-XP, Vaxcyte is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance other novel vaccines, including a prophylactic vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infections (VAX-A1) and a therapeutic vaccine to treat periodontal disease (VAX-PG).

Xagenic

Series B in 2015
Xagenic Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based molecular diagnostics company developing a new technology for decentralized, rapid diagnostic testing and a true point-of-care platform. Our aim is to enable on-demand, near patient molecular testing, empowering clinicians in making treatment decisions for their patients at the time of first consultation. This will dramatically improve patient care and reduce health care costs. Xagenic has adapted this technology to permit rapid, enzyme-free detection of nucleic acids from clinical samples. We are commercializing a simple and fully automated technology platform that will enable widespread decentralized diagnostic testing to be performed outside of clinical laboratories. Our team is developing infectious disease tests that will allow the detection of a variety of analytes in situations where rapid test turnaround will provide clinically actionable results.

XTuit Pharmaceuticals

Series A in 2015
XTuit Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, develops therapeutics targeting the disease-promoting microenvironment in fibrotic diseases and cancer. It develops pharmaceutical preparations for use in the diagnosis and treatment of oncological, tumor, and inflammatory diseases. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Profound Medical Inc

Venture Round in 2015
Profound Medical Corp. operates as a medical technology company develops magnetic resonance guided ablation procedures for treatment of prostate disease, uterine fibroids, and palliative pain treatment in Canada, Germany, and Finland. Its lead product TULSA-PRO system used for magnetic resonance imaging scanner in hospitals and treatment facilities. The company also offers Sonalleve, a therapeutic platform for the treatment of uterine fibroids and palliative pain treatment of bone metastases, as well as non-invasive treatment of uterine fibroids. Profound Medical Corp. has a co-development agreement with GE Healthcare to expand provider access to TULSA-PRO. Profound Medical Corp. is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada.

Zymeworks

Venture Round in 2015
Zymeworks Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Vancouver, Canada, that specializes in the discovery, development, and commercialization of biotherapeutics, primarily for cancer treatment. The company’s leading candidates include ZW25, a bispecific antibody currently undergoing Phase I and II clinical trials targeting various cancers, and ZW49, a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate in Phase I trials for advanced HER2-expressing cancers. Zymeworks employs advanced computational biotechnology techniques, utilizing proprietary molecular modeling and high-performance computing to optimize therapeutic antibodies and other protein-based therapeutics. The company has established strategic partnerships and collaborations with several major pharmaceutical firms, including Merck, Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, among others, to enhance its research and development efforts. Founded in 2003, Zymeworks continues to focus on developing innovative solutions for cancer and other serious diseases.

Visterra

Series B in 2014
Visterra, Inc. engages in pharmaceutical drug research and development of therapeutic and diagnostic products for infectious diseases. It also provides structure-based design of therapeutics and diagnostic platforms, based on an understanding of glycobiology and glycochemistry. The company was formerly known as Parasol Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name in May 2010. Visterra, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

GLyPharma Therapeutic

Series A in 2012
GLyPharma was created in Montréal in August 2012 for the purpose of a strategic partnership between Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a European pharmaceutical company specialized in the discovery and development of active peptides, FONDS de solidarité FTQ and CTI Life Sciences Fund. The compound, FE 203799, is a long-acting GLP-2 receptor agonist, with intestine-trophic and intestine-protective activity. GLyPharma is granted by Ferring an exclusive worldwide license for development and commercialization of this compound as first-in-class indication in supportive care in oncology for protecting from chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis.

Xagenic

Series A in 2012
Xagenic Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based molecular diagnostics company developing a new technology for decentralized, rapid diagnostic testing and a true point-of-care platform. Our aim is to enable on-demand, near patient molecular testing, empowering clinicians in making treatment decisions for their patients at the time of first consultation. This will dramatically improve patient care and reduce health care costs. Xagenic has adapted this technology to permit rapid, enzyme-free detection of nucleic acids from clinical samples. We are commercializing a simple and fully automated technology platform that will enable widespread decentralized diagnostic testing to be performed outside of clinical laboratories. Our team is developing infectious disease tests that will allow the detection of a variety of analytes in situations where rapid test turnaround will provide clinically actionable results.

Medicago

Private Equity Round in 2011
Medicago Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the research, development, production, and commercialization of vaccines in Canada. The company develops its vaccines based on its proprietary technologies, including the plant-based Proficia technology and Virus-Like Particles (VLP) technology. Its product candidate includes H5N1 pandemic influenza VLP vaccine, which has completed a Phase I human clinical trial. The company is also developing H1N1 VLP vaccine for Influenza A/California/04/09 virus; and seasonal influenza vaccines. Medicago Inc. has collaboration agreements with Viridis S.A.; Genopole biopark to manufacture pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines; and Philip Morris International to produce a therapeutic protein with a humancompatible glycosylation pattern. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Quebec City, Canada.

NeurAxon

Debt Financing in 2010
NeurAxon, Inc. discovers and develops pain therapeutics targeting neuronal nitric oxide synthase. It has oral products in pipeline addressing acute migraine, neuropathic pain chronic daily headache, inflammatory pain, migraine prophylaxis, and severe pain. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Somnus Therapeutics

Series A in 2010
Somnus Therapeutics, Inc. is a drug development company focused on creating therapeutics for patients suffering from insomnia. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey, the company aims to address specific challenges faced by individuals with sleep disorders, particularly by developing products designed to prevent midnight awakenings. Through its innovative approach, Somnus Therapeutics seeks to improve the quality of sleep for those affected by insomnia.

Chlorion Pharma

Venture Round in 2007
Chlorion Pharma is a start-up biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for pain and epilepsy that quell neuronal hyperactivity by correct aberrant chloride homeostasis.

Enobia Pharma

Series B in 2007
Enobia develops therapies to treat serious genetic bone disorders for which there are no approved treatments.

TargeGen

Series D in 2007
TargeGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in vascular biology, focusing on the discovery and development of small molecule kinase inhibitors. These inhibitors are designed to address issues such as vascular leakage, proliferation, and inflammation, which are associated with various serious medical conditions including heart attacks, cancer, and eye diseases. TargeGen's products aim to treat conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy, as well as other ailments involving edema and unwanted blood vessel growth. Founded in 2002 and based in San Diego, California, the company was acquired by Sanofi Aventis in 2010.