ScarX Therapeutics

About:

ScarX Therapeutics (ScarX) is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops innovative treatments for dermal scarring

Website: http://www.scarxtherapeutics.com/

Top Investors: BDC Venture Capital, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners, Accel-Rx Health Sciences Accelerator

Description:

ScarX Therapeutics (ScarX) is a biotechnology company that discovers and develops innovative treatments for dermal scarring (fibrosis). ScarX’s lead candidate, SCX-001, will be the first prescription cream for the reduction of post-surgical scarring. ScarX is committed to improving the lives of surgical patients worldwide by providing therapies that prevent and reduce the occurrence of disfiguring, uncomfortable or cosmetically unattractive surgical scars. ScarX was established in 2012 through partnerships with Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids), MaRS Innovation and MaRS Discovery District. ScarX's dermal scar technology is based on over 15 years of research conducted by Dr. Benjamin Alman as a senior scientist and head of Orthopedic Surgery at SickKids. Dr. Alman discovered that nefopam, a known active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), is an effective anti-scarring agent. ScarX immediately developed a re-purposing strategy to advance nefopam for scar treatment and reduction, and has recently competed preclinical studies. The company is now poised to take SX-001 into Phase I/IIa clinical trial. Every year, more than 100 million people in developed countries worldwide experience dermal scarring resulting from surgery. Scarring can have significant physical and psychological implications, from reduced function to disfigurement and emotional trauma. Despite this significant unmet need, no clinically-proven prescription anti-scarring treatment is available on the market today. In the U.S. alone, the estimated market potential for an effective anti-scarring treatment is over $4 billion USD annually. ScarX is currently focused on developing its topical agent, SCX-001, to reduce scarring following cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeries. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery market segments have the advantage of representing a significant portion of the overall market and lend themselves to a niche marketing approach (<10,000 plastic surgeons and aesthetic dermatologists in the U.S. and Canada). Overall, ScarX estimates the combined market value in the U.S. for these two market segments to be in the range of $2.0 - $2.5 billion USD annually.