Conexeu Sciences opens regenerative medicine lab in Mount Pleasant

Conexeu Sciences Inc., a publicly traded biotech company formed in B.C., officially opened a new research lab Tuesday in Mount Pleasant, setting up shop in the M4 Innovation Centre near the intersection of E. 5th Avenue and Main Street.

The 30,000-square-foot facility is operated by adMare BioInnovations and offers turnkey wet labs, office space, and collaboration areas designed as coworking spaces for biotech startups. It was funded in part by $16 million in provincial and federal government grants to support B.C.'s emerging life sciences sector.

Conexeu, which began trading on the Nasdaq in May, is among the first companies to move into the centre. The company was formed and started in B.C. using technology from the University of British Columbia, which is now a shareholder.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 23, Miles Harrison, the company's Dallas-based president and CEO, said the facility will accelerate the company's research and development into regenerative medicine, including post-mastectomy breast regeneration. The company's platform technology, called CXU, is a hydrogel made with collagen and sugars. It can be used in wound care, aesthetics, and body contouring—areas Harrison said represent significant market opportunities. The technology uses a person's own tissue to create volume, distinguishing it from conventional fillers or stimulators.

Conexeu is preparing a "510(k)" submission to the FDA for the first quarter of next year. With FDA clearance, the company can begin using its product in patients. Co-founder and chief scientific officer Claudia Chavez-Munoz said the technology has undergone a 15-year development journey and is now peer-reviewed and patented. Four of the company's scientists will work and collaborate at the Mount Pleasant lab, conducting trials and identifying gaps and risks.