> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Inex Pharmaceuticals - URL: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/inex-pharmaceuticals/ - Published: 1999-01-02T18:11:00.000Z - Updated: 2025-01-02T23:15:22.000Z - Author: Liam Sturgess - Tags: Profiles, #docs, #organization **Inex Pharmaceuticals** was a Canadian biopharmaceutical company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was the predecessor to [Tekmira Pharmaceuticals](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Tekmira-Pharmaceuticals). ## History Dr. Pieter Cullis was among the scientists experimenting with liposomes in the early 1980s, fascinated by their properties in many aspects of human biology.[\[1\]](#fn1) He discovered he could load cancer drugs into liposomes, inspiring him and several colleagues to form Inex Pharmaceuticals in 1992.[\[2\]](#fn2) To improve prospects of successfully advancing gene therapy techniques, Cullis developed and patented a new form of lipid nanoparticle designed to deliver genetic material to host cells.[\[3\]](#fn3) From 1994 onward, a series of patents were filed describing the technology Cullis and his colleagues created, including the addition of a chemical called polyethylene glycol (PEG) to further increase the LNP’s ability to pass into cells.[\[4\]](#fn4)[\[5\]](#fn5)[\[6\]](#fn6)[\[7\]](#fn7) ### Government investment On November 12, 1999, Inex “entered into a Technology Partnerships Canada ("TPC") agreement with the Canadian Federal Government” to support the development of “certain oligonucleotide product candidates”.[\[8\]](#fn8) Inex Pharmaceuticals is proudly featured as a government investment in TPC's annual report from 2000\. The report describes "INEX’s unique delivery technology, called Transmembrane Carrier System (TCS), which enables \[drugs\] to live longer in the bloodstream and increases their ability to reach disease sites."[\[9\]](#fn9) TCS is the term used to describe the liposome-lipid nanoparticle technology in its earliest days of development. ### Spinoffs A variation on the LNP design that Cullis developed in 2000 with several colleagues including Dr. Ian MacLachlan became the basis for a spinoff company the team named [Protiva Biotherapeutics](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Protiva-Biotherapeutics), focused entirely on gene therapy.[\[10\]](#fn10)[\[11\]](#fn11) In 2001, Inex had made deals to develop a product with GlaxoSmithKline.[\[12\]](#fn12) By 2004, Inex was in the research stage of preparing their own targeted “cancer vaccine” program.[\[13\]](#fn13) However, after the United States [Food and Drug Administration](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Food-and-Drug-Administration) declined to approve their chemotherapy products, Cullis quit, the company downsized and rebranded to [Tekmira Pharmaceuticals](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Tekmira-Pharmaceuticals).[\[14\]](#fn14)[\[15\]](#fn15) ## Organization | Name | Position | Notes | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Pieter Cullis | Co-founder[\[2:1\]](#fn2) | [Acuitas Therapeutics](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Acuitas-Therapeutics), Integrated Nanotherapeutics, [Precision NanoSystems](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Precision-NanoSystems), Centre for Drug Research and Development, NanoMedicines Innovation Network | | Jim Pankovich | Associate Director, Clinical Research[\[16\]](#fn16) | [Qu Biologics](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Qu-Biologics), MIGENIX, CV Technologies | ## External links - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/inex-pharmaceuticals/) - [Website (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/20060427055954/http://www.inexpharm.com/) ### Further reading - February 13, 2023: "[Follow the Patents: Lipid Nanoparticles and COVID-19 Genetic Vaccines](https://liamsturgess.substack.com/p/follow-the-patents-lipid-nanoparticles#footnote-anchor-31-101307255)" by [Liam Sturgess](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Liam-Sturgess) --- 1. Horejs, C. (2021). From lipids to lipid nanoparticles to mRNA vaccines. *Nature Reviews Materials.* [↩︎](#fnref1) 2. *Technology Overview.* (2000, June 4). Inex Pharmaceuticals. [↩︎](#fnref2) [↩︎](#fnref2:1) 3. Kulkarni, J. A., Cullis, P. R., & van der Meel, R. (2018). Lipid nanoparticles enabling gene therapies: from concepts to clinical utility. *Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, 28*(3), 146–157\. [↩︎](#fnref3) 4. Choi, L. S. L., Madden, T. D., & Webb, M. S. (1994, September 30). *Polyethylene glycol modified ceramide lipids and liposome uses thereof.* Canadian Patents Database. [↩︎](#fnref4) 5. Madden, T. D., Cullis, P. R., & Holland, J. W. (1994). *Bilayer stabilizing components and their use in forming programmable fusogenic liposomes (Canadian Intellectual Property Office Patent No. 2201121).* Canadian Patents Database. [↩︎](#fnref5) 6. Cullis, P. R., Fenske, D. B., Hope, M. J., & Wong, K. F. (1995, February 27). *Method for loading lipid vesicles (Canadian Intellectual Property Office Patent No. CA 2213861).* Canadian Patents Database. [↩︎](#fnref6) 7. Cullis, P. R., Choi, L. S. L., Monck, M., & Bailey, A. (1996, April 11). *Fusogenic liposomes (Canadian Intellectual Property Office Patent No. CA 2252055).* Canadian Patents Database. [↩︎](#fnref7) 8. Arbutus BioPharma Corporation. (2015, September 30). *Form 10-Q.* Securities and Exchange Commission. [↩︎](#fnref8) 9. *Annual Report 1999-2000.* Technology Partnerships Canada. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from [↩︎](#fnref9) 10. Cullis, P. R., Fenske, D. B., & MacLachlan, I. (2000, October 25). *Lipid formulations for target delivery (Canadian Intellectual Property Office Patent No. CA 2426244).* Canadian Patents Database. [↩︎](#fnref10) 11. Vardi, N. (2021, August 17). *COVID’s forgotten hero: the untold story of the scientist whose breakthrough made the vaccines possible.* Forbes. [↩︎](#fnref11) 12. *2004 Annual Report.* (2004). Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation. [↩︎](#fnref12) 13. *Inex Pharmaceuticals slashes more staff as CEO departs.* (2005, June 21). CBC News; CBC/Radio-Canada. [↩︎](#fnref13) 14. *INEX Pharmaceuticals provides timeline for completing spin-out of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation.* (2007, February 26). BioSpace. [↩︎](#fnref14) 15. *Inex Pharmaceuticals announces completion of spin-out of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation.* (2007, May 1). Arbutus Bio. [↩︎](#fnref15) 16. Jang, J. (2015, June 10). *Qu Biologics Appoints Jim Pankovich as Vice President, Clinical Operations and Drug Development.* Qu Biologics. [↩︎](#fnref16)