General Intermediates Successfully Completes Government of Canada Funded Pharmaceutical Project

Edmonton's GIC Completes Research Program for a new API Starting Material

EDMONTON, June 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Edmonton's General Intermediates of Canada Inc. (GIC) announced today that they have successfully completed a research project related to a key starting API material for a global pharmaceutical client.  This project was done with the support of the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

GIC has taken the 2-chloro-5-hydroxy (2C5H) pyrimidine molecule and developed a novel synthesis route which enables the molecule to be manufactured economically, in commercial quantities, at purity levels not previously seen in the industry.

Although this molecule was long of interest to the global pharmaceutical industry, it was not economically feasible for commercialization prior to GIC's work.

"In addition to helping our client with quality and repeatability regarding 2C5H, our work in process refinement and the production of difficult small molecules in metric tonne quantities has led to other contract manufacturing opportunities," said Dr. Glenn Weagle.  "The support of IRAP was key to our success."

GIC's work on 2C5H follows on a series of breakthroughs since being acquired in 2014.  "GIC has a large portfolio of novel work in the area of small molecules and nucleosides.  As part of our growth strategy, we will be leveraging this expertise and shifting our focus to drug discovery, both on our own and through a series of licensing and joint venture arrangements," said Weagle.  "We expect to bring forward several patents in late 2017 and 2018 related to our drug discovery work.  This work will largely be derived from our ability to produce best-in-class ultra-pure nucleosides for the drug and high-tech industries."

About General Intermediates of Canada Inc.: GIC has been a contract manufacturer of small molecules for over 35 years.  The molecules synthesized by GIC are the starting materials in drugs for MS, Parkinson's disease, asthmatics, anti-virals, and chemotherapeutics.  In addition, GIC has world-leading expertise in the production of ultra-pure nucleosides for the drug and high-tech industries.

SOURCE General Intermediates of Canada