Invizius Announces Appointment of World-Renowned Nephrologist Professor Bernard Canaud to its Clinical Advisory Board

GLASGOW, Scotland, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Invizius Limited ("Invizius"), a biotechnology company developing breakthrough treatments for patients on dialysis, is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Bernard Canaud to its Clinical Advisory Board.

Professor Canaud is a leading authority on kidney disease and dialysis. He has over 40 years of experience in the field, has published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles on the subject, and in 2009 was awarded the Legion d'Honneur – the highest French order of merit – for his medical achievements. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Nephrology at the Montpellier University School of Medicine in France and previously headed the Nephrology, Dialysis and Intensive Care Department at Lapeyronie University Hospital in Montpellier. He served as Chief Medical Officer for Fresenius Medical Care's Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America division from 2012 to 2018, and as its global Chief Medical Scientist from 2019 to 2021. He has served on the editorial boards of many nephrology journals and is a member of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EDTA), the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the French Society of Nephrology. He is also a past president of the Société Francophone de Dialyse (SFD).

Invizius is developing its novel, complement regulation biotechnology into breakthrough treatments for patients on dialysis, to improve the poor patient outcomes that have persisted for decades. Its lead product, H-Guard®, is for Haemodialysis and is designed to preserve renal function and cardiovascular health and improve patients' Quality of Life. By taking a precision medicine approach, treatment will target patients at highest risk of life-threatening complications.

Richard Boyd, Chief Executive Officer of Invizius, said: "We are delighted and honored to have Professor Canaud join Invizius at an important time of growth and development for the company. We are now beginning the First-in-Human study of H-Guard following recent approval by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Professor Canaud's unrivalled experience in the field of nephrology will be instrumental as we look to transform the treatment landscape for dialysis patients."

Professor Bernard Canaud, commented: "Invizius' unique product H-Guard has the potential to reduce the therapeutic burden and save patients' lives by addressing the inappropriate activation of the complement system. In spite of significant advances in the field of biocompatibility, studies have demonstrated that the persistent activation of the complement system by extracorporeal blood purification or nanomedicine therapy remains potentially harmful in the long and short term for patients exposed to these therapies. By targeting factor H and inhibiting both the alternate complement activation pathway and its amplification loop with H-Guard, we have the ability and potential to make a tremendous difference to patients while mitigating associated risks."

Invizius will be attending the upcoming American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2023 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA, on 2 to 5 November. Do get in contact if you would like to set up a meeting or require further information.

About Invizius

Invizius is developing a portfolio of second generation complement therapies to address a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Invizius' proprietary approach was born out of over ten years of research by Dr Andy Herbert into how pathogenic microbes evade the human complement system. The novel mechanism of action enhances the activity of the body's own complement regulators to effectively downregulate immune responses while maintaining antimicrobial protection. The lead product, H-Guard, addresses serious complement-driven complications of haemodialysis, and enables additional indications in other extra-corporeal treatments (ECMO, cardiopulmonary bypass). A second product is being developed to extend the period that patients can sustain home-based, peritoneal dialysis.

The company is working with Key Opinion Leaders from University of Manchester NHS Trust, Karolinska Institutet, University of Heidelberg, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Oxford, and University of Strathclyde. It is backed by Mercia, Downing, Calculus, and Solvay, a corporate VC. Other investors include Edinburgh University's Old College Capital fund, Scottish Enterprise, and well-known life science investor, Dr Jonathan Milner.

For more information on Invizius, please visit: www.invizius.com