With the emergence of various local collaborations in the life sciences, health and technology sectors (LHST) the pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a remarkable renewal. Located in Montreal, the CERASP is actively participating in the development of new products from innovation to commercialization. In addition, it offers technical support to small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Let us take a look at the CERASP and what it offers.
Innovation and performance are at the heart of the CERASP’s mission
The CERASP is an acronym for Centre d’Expertise et de Recherche Appliquée en Sciences Pharmaceutiques (Expertise and Applied Research Center for Pharmaceutical Sciences), an organization that is a member of the College Centres for Technology Transfer network, which goes by the acronym CCTT.
In concrete terms, the CERASP is a centre for applied research which works in pairs with start-ups, SMEs and paragovernmental organizations. It focuses on the development of products and offers technical support for existing products to make them more effective and marketable. The CERASP contributes expertise to the following sectors:
- Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Products
- Animal Health
- Bioprocesses
- Natural Health and Dermocosmetical Products
The Centre has research and development laboratories and has production facilities with cutting-edge technologies with which it can produce prototypes from beginning to packaging. The Centre accepts trainees and ensures that with the support of experts they develop the desired skills. Through its regulatory affairs specialists and its partner status with Health Canada, the CERASP is the best solution to communicate constructively with health authorities and work together with them.
The development of innovative products through applied research
The CERASP facilities enable the team to handle all the processes of product development, whether it concerns formulation, reformulation or premiumization. Indeed, the team can take on a project from beginning to end, offer technical help for a given problem, perform studies by giving access to certain equipment and write a report to bring a project to a close.
As required, the CERASP also handles feasibility studies to evaluate the manufacturing methods, the designing of new facilities and the digital integration of health and transformation.
The Centre ensures the optimal transfer of information through a training service. The training leads to the development of talents and help businesses attain their objectives autonomously. The CERASP works together with the Continuing Education services operating in CEGEPs to offer attestations, certifications, one-time training and competency models.
The management and development of protocols and standard operating procedures, including the optimization of ongoing processes are also part of the comprehensive and rigorous guidance that the CERASP offers. Such support makes it possible to complete a project through the validation of pilot-scale processes.
The kind of support that enables a business to be off to a good start
The Centre is specialized in supporting SMEs and can work with an established business just as well as it can with a start-up. The CERASP also includes professionals who know how to handle projects from the perspective of regulatory affairs and the registration of intellectual property (IP). In addition, the Centre can direct SMEs to patent experts and make them profit from its in-depth knowledge of national and international regulatory processes. As a recognized partner of Health Canada, the CERASP can represent its clients to the organization. It can, besides, complete their requests for information and marketing authorizations.
The CERASP can handle grant applications
Since the Centre is part of a college network, it works with several partners with links to academic funding, and it has the knowledge and the expertise to carry out the different stages of the grant application process, whether the application is for $4,000 or more than $10 million. These grants can help with each stage of the project launch, from innovation to commercialization, and can include expansion grants for new employees, equipment, markets and services.
With an expertise and research centre like the CERASP, Quebec has a solid development hub in the life sciences sector. CERASP’s dedicated multidisciplinary team and its profitable collaborations contribute to the growth and development of SMEs and to making Quebec’s pharmaceutical industry stand out.
