British Columbia – Vancouver – Vancouver
Corporation
www.qltinc.com/
British Columbia
Vancouver
Vancouver
Corporation
active
QLT Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the eye. We are focused on our commercial product Visudyne® for the treatment of wet-AMD, developing drugs to be delivered in our proprietary punctal plug delivery system, as well as developing our synthetic retinoid program for the treatment of certain inherited retinal diseases.
ESTABLISHED
Formed in 1981. Became a public company in 1986.
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS
Visudyne® (verteporfin) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), pathologic myopia and presumed ocular histoplasmosis. To date, Visudyne has been used in more than two million treatments worldwide and is commercially available in more than 80 countries.
Photofrin®, the world's first approved photodynamic therapy drug used in the treatment of various cancers. Before selling the rights to Photofrin to Axcan Pharma Inc. on June 8, 2000, QLT received a number of worldwide approvals for Photofrin for various cancerous conditions.
Country of Ownership: Canada
Year Established: 1981
Exporting: Yes
Primary Industry (NAICS): 325410 - Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
Alternate Industries (NAICS): 541710 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences
Primary Business Activity: Manufacturer / Processor / Producer
Number of Employees: 140
Products:
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical products
Technology:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses light-activated drugs called photosensitizers to treat a range of diseases characterized by rapidly growing tissue, including the formation of abnormal blood vessels, such as cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Treatment with PDT consists of a two-step process that starts with administration of the drug, or photosensitizer, by intravenous injection. Once the drug enters the bloodstream, it attaches itself to low-density lipoproteins already circulating. As cells undergoing rapid growth require an above-average supply of lipoproteins, the drug reaches these types of cells more quickly and in higher concentrations.
Once the necessary level of concentration is attained, the second step is to activate the drug with a specific dose of light of a particular wavelength. This causes the conversion of normal oxygen found in tissue to a highly energized form called singlet oxygen, which in turn, disrupts normal cellular functions. Neither the drug nor the light exert any effect until combined.
What makes PDT effective and safe is its selectivity. Because the light is shone directly at the cells in the targeted tissue where the drug accumulates preferentially, damage to the surrounding tissue is limited. The entire procedure can be performed in a physician€™s office or on an outpatient basis.
The type of light source used in PDT varies according to the condition treated. Opthalmology: diode laser light is shone through the slit lamp of a microscope into a patient€™s eye.
In all cases only non-thermal (i.e. non-burning) light sources are used. QLT ensures the availability of light sources and delivery systems by partnering with leading medical device companies to co-develop and promote PDT-dedicated lights and related devices.
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