Founded in 2007, The Alizé Pharma Group is a group of privately held biopharmaceutical companies specialized in the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases and cancer..

Its first program, AZP-01, consists in the development of peptides derived from a naturally occurring hormone called unacylated ghrelin, in type I and type II diabetes. This program is being developed in collaboration with Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam), the Netherlands, and University of Torino, Italy. Available preclinical and preliminary clinical data suggest that unacylated ghrelin analogs have a therapeutic potential in diabetes through a novel mechanism of action that includes a proliferative effect of beta cells, insulin-sensitizing actions as well as glucose and lipid-lowering effects. Additional animal studies and proof-of-concept clinical trials are part of the short-term objectives in order to unlock the clinical potential of this new therapeutic class. A financing of EUR 0,7M was raised in order to achieve these short-term milestones, which will trigger the next corporate event.

The second program, AZP-02, is named ASPAREC® and aims at designing and developing an improved and recombinant L-asparaginase product for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and other onco-haematological disorders. In May 2008, the Alizé Pharma Group announced that it had acquired a recombinant L-asparaginase project from EUSA Pharma Inc., in order to accelerate the implementation of the ASPAREC® program. A EUR 1,1M financing round was raised in parallel for the purpose of the transaction and to finance value-creating R&D milestones within the next 12 months.

Participating investors in the both financing rounds finalized so far included Octalfa SAS, a French holding company owned by Gilles Alberici, PhD, former Founder and President of OPi SA; and CEMA Inc., a Canadian holding company owned by André de Villers, MD, former Founder, President & CEO of Theratechnologies Inc (TH.TO) and Celmed Biosciences Inc.