Biotech Firm to Study Rosehips Unique to Canada

Biotechnology firm Ceapro Inc. (Edmonton, AB, Canada) has signed a material transfer agreement (MTA) with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to study the active ingredients in a species of rosehips the company says is unique to Canada’s Prince Edward Island.

“Previous extensive collaborative work by the University of Prince Edward Island, NRC, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada found that a specific variety contained multiple compounds capable of providing therapeutic benefits,” Ceapro said. The entities will study the effects of combining the active ingredients of the rosehips with Ceapro’s active ingredients.

“The variety is unique, and this provides a degree of protection from competitors,” said David Fielder, Ceapro’s chief science officer. The company has the option to commercialize some of the intellectual property that results from the studies. “This project exemplifies everything we would like to see in a new commercialization project,” Fielder added.

Prince Edward Island has also awarded the project a grant of up to $100,000.