New research facility will focus on medicinal chemistry

Vancouver, BC – More than $1.9 million in federal funding is being provided to Simon Fraser University to establish a new research facility to be called MedChem.

The new laboratory will be a vital resource for academic and industrial researchers to produce larger amounts of promising new therapeutic drug compounds for further testing and potential commercialization. This includes an incubator for early stage biotechnology companies.

“We are extremely grateful to Western Economic Diversification for their investment in the SFU medicinal chemistry facility. The funded physical infrastructure renovation and equipment will build on SFU’s own investment in medicinal chemistry in terms of physical infrastructure and faculty appointments,” said Dr B Mario Pinto, professor of chemistry and vice president, research at Simon Fraser University. “The facility will be used to house start-up companies and the centre for drug research and development, and will complete the cycle from ideas to innovation to commercialization.”