Latest news with #Boulet
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Passion, Plants, and Phase III: Devonian Health Group Is on a Mission to Disrupt Inflammation Therapy
While the industry might be dominated by synthetic compounds, billion-dollar VC funds, and long, uncertain development timelines, Devonian Health Group Inc. is proving there is another way. As a publicly traded company, under the leadership of its founder and CEO, Dr. André P. Boulet, Devonian has quietly advanced multi-target drug candidates and a cutting-edge cosmeceutical line, backed not by institutional investors but by a network of Canadian family offices made up of dentists, physicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Boulet's journey to this unconventional success story reads like a masterclass in risk, reinvention, and scientific conviction. "I'm a venture capitalist in my heart," Boulet says. "But I'm also a scientist. When I saw the anti-inflammatory results of this botanical extract technology from a university agriculture project, I knew this had real potential. So, I followed my instinct and took the risk." With a PhD in physiology-endocrinology, postdoctoral training in biochemistry and biophysics, and experience leading cardiovascular clinical research programs, Boulet's transition from academia to venture capital was swift. After climbing the pharmaceutical ladder and managing funds in Montreal, he exited his partnership and launched what would become Devonian Health Group in 2015. At its core, Devonian is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, with its lead drug candidate, Thykamine ™, poised to enter Phase III clinical trials for atopic dermatitis and soon pediatric eczema. "Traditional pharma was built on the 'silver bullet,' one target, one mechanism," Boulet explains. "But now science is evolving. We're moving toward therapies that modulate multiple pathways. That's exactly what Thykamine does without shutting down important immune functions like TNF-alpha. That's why our efficacy is high, but side effects are minimal." What sets Devonian apart isn't just its marquee drug but the platform behind it. The company's patented SUPREX™ technology allows for water-based extraction, purification, and stabilization of Active Botanical Ingredients (ABIs) from plants and algae. These complexes modulate inflammation at the genetic level across multiple diseases, offering a broad pipeline of possibilities. To date, Thykamine™ has demonstrated strong results in its Phase II trial. Both gastrointestinal (ulcerative colitis) and dermatological (eczema) models have shown significant symptom relief and safety comparable to placebo. Remarkably, all this has been achieved without traditional VC backing. Boulet credits this to his deep network of entrepreneurial allies and his belief in business-first partnerships. "We've raised funds to advance to Phase III, built an extraction and production facility, and kept the company debt-free," he says. While the pharmaceutical arm garners headlines, Devonian's cosmeceutical division is equally ambitious. Operating under the Purgenesis™ brand, the company has developed a premium line of anti-aging creams containing its patented botanical ingredient R-Spinasome®, a photosynthetic cell extract with dynamic antioxidant properties. What makes Purgenesis™ unusual in the beauty space is its clinical rigor. Devonian has conducted peer-reviewed, pharma-grade clinical trials on the entire product line, something virtually unheard of in the cosmeceutical industry. "We've scientifically proven a reduction in wrinkles," says Boulet. "Not just pretty pictures, but peer-reviewed, published data. We're the only ones doing cosmeceuticals the pharma way." With day, night, and eye creams already developed and a professional-grade serum in the pipeline, Devonian is currently seeking commercial partners to bring Purgenesis™ to a global market hungry for results-backed skincare. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Devonian's success is how personal it all feels. There are no Silicon Valley investors or hedge fund suits behind the curtain, just a network of entrepreneurs who believe in the mission. "Working with family offices is stimulating," Boulet says. "You get input from pharmacists, dentists, and industrialists. We face challenges together, and we have fun doing it." The company's headquarters in Québec includes a full-scale extraction and production facility, providing complete traceability from seed to pill. This vertical integration helps with both cutting costs, yes, but also ensuring product consistency. For Boulet, the journey has been one of passion and perseverance. "In life, there's always a risk," he reflects. "But if you surround yourself with the right people and believe in what you're building, that risk becomes your fuel. That's what Devonian is about: science, instinct, and community." As the company readies for Phase III trials in both pharmaceuticals and final-stage commercialization of its skincare line, Devonian Health Group stands as a testament to the power of conviction and the potential of plants to reshape the future of medicine.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Momentum builds for revitalizing Bertrand Drive in Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, La. () — Revamping a portion of Bertrand Drive will require a substantial amount of money. Bertrand is a revitalization project that sits high on Lafayette's Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet's list. On June 6, Boulet signed off on a council-approved ordinance that could address this need. One of Mayor-President Boulet's priorities at the start of her administration was to revitalize Johnston Street. 'Johnston Street is a really heavy lift,' Boulet said. 'There are a lot of issues. We're talking from Ambassador Caffery, all through Louisiana Avenue to I-10.' Boulet states Johnston is the heart of Lafayette but to revitalize it in a timely manner it would be better if LCG owned the road. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The other piece that's critical is Bertrand. Bertrand is owned by the state as well. In order to get construction moving on that project, we need ownership of Bertrand,' Boulet added. Boulet says the notifications along Bertrand Drive are to be significant, including drainage. 'Access in many of the driveways to the businesses. We've worked very closely with those businesses,' she said. 'We've been through a lot of the foundational work and are ready to position it for construction, but we need ownership of those roads.' According to council records, councilman Andy Naquin agreed to support the road swap ordinance if an economic development district is created. What to know about the new 'Nimbus' COVID variant 'The purpose of creating a taxing district is to find funding for our MP'S (Mayor-President's) road swap for which there is no excess in LCG's current revenue stream. The money will not miraculously appear,' according to part of Naquin's statement to KLFY. The mayor-president acknowledges how paying for the revitalization project is a genuine concern. Boulet states that she respects Naquin for acknowledging that. 'We agreed to look at that, and we are, but we are going to look at several different options and work with Andy to come up with the best solution forward. An EDD could be a very viable option. It might not be the only one to consider, though,' Boulet explained. Boulet says work along Bertrand will be ready to go probably by the end of the year, if not, by the first quarter. Saints conclude mandatory minicamp 'Immaturity': Rand Paul rips White House after being 'uninvited' from picnic Momentum builds for revitalizing Bertrand Drive in Lafayette Senate GOP seeks to cut SALT cap, triggering fight with House An Active Weather Pattern Will Continue Through the Weekend… Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Montreal Gazette
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
CAQ government adopts law to limit length of labour disruptions
Quebec Politics By QUEBEC — Despite the staunch opposition of Quebec's labour unions, the National Assembly has adopted legislation designed to limit prolonged labour disruptions. With the support of the Quebec Liberals, the Coalition Avenir Québec government pushed Bill 89, which the unions have tagged a declaration of war on them, into law Thursday. The vote tally was 94 in favour, 17 against. Québec solidaire and Parti Québécois MNAs opposed. But Labour Minister Jean Boulet defended the new law, saying something had to be done to better protect the population in the event of long labour conflicts. 'It's important to find the right balance between the exercise of the right to strike or lock out and the needs of the population,' Boulet said shortly before the vote was taken. 'In many different sectors, we've observed many conflicts that have had tremendous repercussions for the population. I think about the parents, I think about the families, I think about the children who have particular needs when they have a specific disease or handicap.' Boulet noted Quebec is the Canadian champion when it comes to labour conflicts. He said Statistics Canada data shows Quebec set a record for strikes in 2023 with 690 work stoppages and broke that total in 2024 with 754 strikes. 'We have to take care of that,' Boulet said. Recent polling shows the population is also on the side of the government. According to a Léger poll commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses last week, 74 per cent of Quebecers think that too many labour disruptions are bad for the economy. As well, 72 per cent of Quebecers believe the government should be able to intervene to end labour disputes. Boulet refuted claims by the unions and QS that the law gives the government too much power to intervene. Under the terms of the law, the Quebec cabinet will have the power to adopt a decree to refer a prolonged labour conflict affecting the public to the Administrative Labour Tribunal. The parties would then have seven days to reach an agreement to maintain services after which the tribunal would act itself to establish the list of essential services. The law excludes the health sector and civil service because they are already subject to the Essential Services Act, which requires them to maintain an acceptable level of services. The law includes a second mechanism giving the minister the power to submit a dispute to an arbitrator if he feels there is a 'real or apprehended threat,' that a strike or lockout will cause the population irreparable damage. This power could only be used in the event of a failed attempt to reach an agreement by a conciliator or mediator. 'It is important to repeat that it isn't a decision to be made by the government itself,' Boulet said. When he presented the bill, he ran down a long list of labour conflicts in which he said the public suffered, including the 2023 strike at the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery that prevented families from burying their loved ones. 'I invite you to talk to those families,' Boulet said when the bill was presented in January 2025. The legislation also earned the support of Quebec's powerful business lobby, but the province's labour unions staged protests in front of the National Assembly in April. On Thursday, the opposition parties spoke out against the bill again. QS MNA Alexandre Leduc called Bill 89 'authoritarian and discriminatory.' 'It's too much power for one man,' Leduc told reporters. 'The right to strike is not fun for anyone, but it is the only tool left for a lot of people trying to reach a better distribution of wealth in Quebec.' He added that the law already on the books, the Essential Services Act, would have sufficed to settle most of the labour disputes Boulet mentioned in his pitch for the new law. Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay went the other way and said his party believes the new law is justified. 'I think it's important that we modernize our law, and a balanced approach is part of the solution,' Tanguay said. This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM.
The Age
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Stephanie was told she would never get better. Now she's at the forefront of treating her illness
For years, Stephanie Boulet was told she would never recover from anorexia nervosa. Enduring hospital admissions and residential care through her adolescence and 20s, the treatment – which assumed she was motivated by a desire to be thin – didn't work. 'It is not fair that I was in that state for as long as I was, repeatedly reaching out for care and being called 'treatment resistant' and [my condition] 'severe and enduring',' Boulet said. Evidence-based treatments for adults with eating disorders do not work for roughly half of patients, and there is no standalone evidence-based treatment for anorexia or other specific disorders, meaning clinicians rely on guesswork to find ways to help. But a promising new US trial has found a personalised treatment approach targeting unique combinations of symptoms for each patient led to a greater decline in symptoms compared to the current gold-standard treatment, enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E). Loading The results of the small randomised controlled trial, the first trial of personalised treatment for any mental illness, were presented at the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre's (AEDRTC) conference in Sydney last week. The findings are yet to be peer-reviewed. Lead researcher Professor Cheri Levinson, director of the Eating Anxiety Treatment (EAT) Laboratory at the University of Louisville, said current treatments were based on averages that don't account for the huge variations in the symptoms, behaviours, thought processes and characteristics of people with eating disorders. 'Patients with the same diagnosis can present with extremely different symptoms,' she said. 'Growing data shows that about 50 per cent of patients have weight and shape concerns as their central or most important symptoms, meaning 50 per cent do not,' she said, floating the concept of an 'eating spectrum disorder' approach to diagnosis.
Sydney Morning Herald
31-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Stephanie was told she would never get better. Now she's at the forefront of treating her illness
For years, Stephanie Boulet was told she would never recover from anorexia nervosa. Enduring hospital admissions and residential care through her adolescence and 20s, the treatment – which assumed she was motivated by a desire to be thin – didn't work. 'It is not fair that I was in that state for as long as I was, repeatedly reaching out for care and being called 'treatment resistant' and [my condition] 'severe and enduring',' Boulet said. Evidence-based treatments for adults with eating disorders do not work for roughly half of patients, and there is no standalone evidence-based treatment for anorexia or other specific disorders, meaning clinicians rely on guesswork to find ways to help. But a promising new US trial has found a personalised treatment approach targeting unique combinations of symptoms for each patient led to a greater decline in symptoms compared to the current gold-standard treatment, enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E). Loading The results of the small randomised controlled trial, the first trial of personalised treatment for any mental illness, were presented at the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre's (AEDRTC) conference in Sydney last week. The findings are yet to be peer-reviewed. Lead researcher Professor Cheri Levinson, director of the Eating Anxiety Treatment (EAT) Laboratory at the University of Louisville, said current treatments were based on averages that don't account for the huge variations in the symptoms, behaviours, thought processes and characteristics of people with eating disorders. 'Patients with the same diagnosis can present with extremely different symptoms,' she said. 'Growing data shows that about 50 per cent of patients have weight and shape concerns as their central or most important symptoms, meaning 50 per cent do not,' she said, floating the concept of an 'eating spectrum disorder' approach to diagnosis.
