About Us
Hermay Labs
Hermay Labs Corporation is a Canadian chemistry research company based in Edmonton, Alberta.
One of the areas on which the company is concentrating their efforts is drug discovery. They have extensive experience in drug design and synthesis. The scientific team in Hermay Labs consists of experts in the following disciplines:
1. Molecular modeling: Protein dynamics, protein-ligand docking, ligand characterization. This will enable us to design and generate novel small molecules to target proteins of interest.
2. Artificial intelligence: Use of proprietary software to evaluate toxicity, ADME, and PK 'in silico' even before chemical synthesis of the compounds commences. This will significantly reduce the cost while increasing the likelihood of success. The software can also generate novel analogues to cover every angle of potential chemical space for IP protection.
3. Medicinal and synthetic chemistry: The company's leadership has over 25 years of synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and CRO leadership experience, which will be used to efficiently execute the medicinal and synthetic chemistry tasks at hand.
4. Biochemistry: Expertise in protein biochemistry and molecular mechanics ensures front line performance, not only in identifying and addressing protein targets, but in carrying out associated cell-based assays and evaluating cellular mechanisms.
Key Scientific Leaders
Junzhi (John) Yao, Ph.D., President
Dr. Yao obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from Wuhan University, a highly respected institution in China. He subsequently served as an Assistant Professor at Wuhan University and Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology before undertaking post-doctoral research at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas) and the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba). After spending many years working as an industrial research scientist in Winnipeg and Edmonton, Dr. Yao co-founded several companies, including a contract research organization (CRO).
Leonard I. Wiebe, DSc, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Wiebe obtained his Ph.D. (1970) and D.Sc. (2002) from the University of Sydney (Australia) and holds Honorary Doctorates in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Meiji Pharmaceutical University (Japan) and Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (Japan). He was first appointed to the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences's academic staff at the University of Alberta in 1970, and after promotion to Associate (1973), Full Professor (1978) and Professor Emeritus in 2003. Dr. Wiebe held interim research appointments at the University of Tübingen, the German Cancer Research Center, and Heidelberg University in Germany, and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Sydney University in Australia. He has served as an expert consultant to numerous Universities and international agencies, including the Volkswagen Foundation, Cancer UK, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (now ANSTO), the Helmholtz Foundation, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Dr. Wiebe was the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's first Ambassador Scientist for Canada (2007-2012) and the first permanent Director of Biomedicine and Health at ANSTO. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of several international scientific journals published in his fields of interest.
Current Research and Development Projects and Products
1. Skin depigmentation and chemotherapy of advanced melanoma
Skin pigmentation control and melanoma chemotherapy are serious goals for people from all walks of life. Affected individuals suffering from occupational or recreational exposure to sunlight, including sun-tanning, or experiencing drug-induced hyperpigmentation, look to the cosmetic industry for help, mainly because the pharmaceutical industry has not championed scientifically proven remedies. Similarly, melanoma-targeted drugs are largely ineffective, leaving chemotherapy as a last and usually futile attempt to treat advanced-stage melanoma.
Hermay Labs has developed a series of compounds representing a new opportunity to modulate skin hyperpigmentation and inhibit melanoma growth at the biomolecular level. Hermay Labs is seeking partners and collaborators, and is offering investors early-stage opportunities to promote this technology.
2. Anti-cancer drug discovery platform
Statistics reveal that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women have cancer in their lifetime; 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women will die from these malignant diseases. A novel emerging approach to fighting cancer is a technology called Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras or PROTACs. Unlike the competitive and occupancy-driven process of traditional inhibitors, PROTACs molecules are catalytic in their mode of action, where they promote target protein degradation at low exposure concentrations. PROTACs have the potential to degrade the target pathogenic protein and complete shunt-related signalling pathways, a process not achieved by traditional therapies (inhibitor/activator). As a promising new technology, PROTACs have gained significant attention from academia and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Although important advances have been made with the PROTAC technology, there are many clinical development challenges. One critical challenge is to increase the clinical success potential while reducing chemoresistance. For example, E3 ligases dictate ubiquitination/removal of the target molecules, and current PROTAC drug candidates target only a single E3 ubiquitin ligase. This has the potential for the drug to fail, as the targeted E3 ubiquitin ligase may not be present in every cancer cell and tissue type, and the targeted E3 ubiquitin ligase may become mutated during acquired drug resistance. Hermay Labs Corporation has developed a series of lead compounds that can simultaneously bind to three different homologous E3 ubiquitin ligases, thereby largely by-passing effective acquired resistance. We believe this will revolutionize the paradigm of PROTAC development and design because our platform will increase efficacy and decrease potential drug resistance.
3. Affordable and sustainable water treatment materials
The global water and wastewater treatment market is expected to reach $211.3 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% during the forecast period of 2019 to 2025. At Hermay Labs, we intend to improve water treatments by developing innovative, affordable and sustainable water treatment materials.
Hermay Labs and its European collaborator have developed a series of water filtering materials that efficiently and economically treat water: a SuperFilter system that filters natural water to provide drinkable (potable) water; a FirstFilter system to remove the environmental pollutants from industrial wastewater; and a FineFilter system which can remove heavy metal pollutants.
We Are Hiring
Working with us
Hermay Labs Corp is seeking knowledgeable, experienced, and motivated professionals capable of working effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment in Edmonton, Canada. We are looking for individuals from chemistry and other technical backgrounds to work collaboratively in our scientific laboratory to synthesize new chemicals, to create products and technologies that benefit the health of humans and the environment.
We offer the opportunity to work within a culture of highly motivated, talented individuals who are dedicated to the company's mission. Each job provides wide-ranging responsibilities due to our cross-functional organizational structure and leadership style, which ensures that everyone is engaged, committed and accountable.
Research Scientist / Senior Research Scientist – Chemistry
Candidates who have a strong synthetic organic chemistry background with MSc or PhD degree in Synthetic Chemistry are preferred. The Research Scientist / Senior Research Scientist will design and conduct chemical reactions and purification to synthesize complex organic compounds in our scientific laboratory.
The position will remain open until suitable candidates are found.
Please send your resume to info@hermay.ca