AmorChem L.P. is a venture capital fund located in Montreal focused on investing in promising life science projects originating from Quebec—based universities and research centres. The principal limited partners of this fund are Investissement—Québec, FIER Partenaires, Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Merck & Co. This fund is the latest addition to the GeneChem portfolio of funds, a fund manager in existence since 1997. AmorChem’s innovative business model involves financing research—stage projects to enable them to reach pre— clinical proof—of—concept (“POC”) in a semi—virtual mode within 18—24 months. The fund seeks to generate returns through a two—pronged exit strategy: sell projects having reached POC to large biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies; or bundle them into new spin—out companies. AmorChem using external resources will manage the projects. To that effect, AmorChem has established a strategic partnership with the Biotechnology Research Institute in order to access its R&D platforms. In addition, to enabling projects requiring small molecules as tools or drug leads, AmorChem has founded NuChem Therapeutics Inc., a medicinal chemistry contract—research company.
NuChem Therapeutics Inc. is a medicinal chemistry contract—research company wholly— owned by AmorChem. With laboratories situated at the Biotechnology Research Institute in Montreal, the company is led by Dr. Daniel Guay, formerly of Merck Canada and the Institut de recherche en immunologie et cancérologie (IRIC).