CELYSTRA Pharma: Trio of Industry Veterans Launches Quebec Biopharmaceutical Company to Bring Innovative Treatments to Canada

Company begins operations with a Health Canada-approved treatment for a rare genetic disease more prevalent in certain regions of Quebec

MONTREAL, May 5, 2026 /CNW/ - Three pharmaceutical industry veterans today announced the creation of CELYSTRA Pharma, a new Quebec-based biopharmaceutical company specializing in the introduction of innovative treatments to Canada. The company is backed by more than $20 million in investments from financial partners including Investissement Québec and Crédit Mutuel Equity, along with contributions from its founders.

Founded by Paul Lévesque, Philippe Dubuc and John Leasure, the company is launching its activities with a first treatment recently approved by Health Canada for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS), a rare genetic disease characterized by severely elevated triglyceride levels in the blood. Although the disease affects only an estimated 2 to 10 people per million worldwide, its prevalence is significantly higher in certain founder populations, including French Canadians--particularly in eastern Quebec.

A Business Model Focused on Bringing Global Therapies to Canada

CELYSTRA aims to identify and acquire innovative treatments developed internationally and make them available to underserved patient populations in Canada.

The company has licensed from Ionis Pharmaceuticals the Canadian rights to two medicines: olezarsen (TRYNGOLZA^®) and donidalorsen (DAWNZERA^®).

Leadership Team with Extensive Pharmaceutical Experience

The three co-founders have extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in commercialization, business development and financing.

Paul Lévesque, President and Chief Executive Officer of CELYSTRA, brings more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before co-founding CELYSTRA, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Theratechnologies from 2020 to 2025. Earlier in his career, he held several executive leadership positions at Pfizer, including President of Pfizer Canada from 2007 to 2012 and Global President of Pfizer's Rare Disease Unit in New York.

Philippe Dubuc, also a co-founder of CELYSTRA, held senior leadership roles at Theratechnologies for more than ten years, including serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He brings over 35 years of experience in the financial services and healthcare sectors, spanning investment banking and corporate financing.

John Leasure, co-founder of CELYSTRA, is a seasoned pharmaceutical industry executive. He most recently served as Global Commercial Officer at Theratechnologies, following nearly three decades at Pfizer in the United States and Canada. During his tenure at Pfizer, he held several commercial leadership roles, including Head of the Oncology Business Unit at Pfizer Canada from 2016 to 2021, and contributed to the launch of numerous medicines in Canada and internationally.

A First Treatment Approved for Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome

The first product in CELYSTRA's portfolio is olezarsen (TRYNGOLZA^®), a medication recently approved by Health Canada for the treatment of FCS.

FCS is a rare genetic disease characterized by the abnormal, severe and persistent accumulation in the blood of fat-transporting particles called chylomicrons, which carry fats absorbed by the intestine after meals to the liver. This disease can lead to recurrent acute pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that is very painful and can sometimes be fatal.

TRYNGOLZA works by targeting apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III), a key regulator of triglyceride metabolism. By reducing apoC-III levels, the treatment promotes the clearance of triglyceride-rich particles such as chylomicrons and helps significantly lower triglyceride concentrations in the blood.

"Familial chylomicronemia syndrome is associated with severe and potentially life-threatening complications. The disease has a major impact on the quality of life of those affected. Although very rare, it is significantly more common in Quebec than in the rest of the world," said Dr. Daniel Gaudet, clinician-researcher at ECOGENE-21 and professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, who has led several pivotal international clinical studies on this disease.

"We are very proud to introduce a therapy based on ribonucleic acid (RNA) technology in Canada to help patients living with this disease, for whom therapeutic options have been extremely limited until now," added Paul Lévesque.

TRYNGOLZA recently received a positive recommendation from Canada's Drug Agency (CDA), an independent organization that evaluates medicines to inform public reimbursement decisions in Canada.

The treatment is currently under evaluation by the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), Quebec's health technology assessment body responsible for assessing medications, health technologies and clinical practices and providing recommendations to the government regarding their coverage under Quebec's public drug plan.

The licensing agreement also includes rights to commercialize TRYNGOLZA for a second indication, severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG), a condition characterized by very high levels of triglycerides in the blood. CELYSTRA plans to submit this additional indication for regulatory approval in Canada shortly.

A Second Treatment Under Regulatory Review

CELYSTRA has also licensed from Ionis Pharmaceuticals the Canadian rights to donidalorsen, a treatment intended to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE).

HAE is also a rare genetic disease characterized by episodes of swelling that can affect different parts of the body.

Donidalorsen is currently under regulatory review by Health Canada.

This medicine is already marketed in the United States under the name DAWNZERA.

"Patients living with rare diseases still face limited therapeutic options. With CELYSTRA, we want to facilitate access in Canada to innovative treatments developed elsewhere in the world to address these important medical needs," said Paul Lévesque.

An Initiative Aligned with Quebec's and Canada's Life Sciences Ecosystem

The launch of CELYSTRA comes as the governments of Quebec and Canada advance strategies to improve the diagnosis, management and treatment of rare diseases.

"Our approach is fully aligned with the objectives set out by the governments of Quebec and Canada in their strategic plans to improve the management of rare diseases. We hope this environment will support rapid access to and reimbursement of these therapies for patients who need them," said Paul Lévesque.

"Our involvement goes right back to the earliest stages of CELYSTRA's founding and illustrates the decisive role we want to play with promising young companies that have the potential to become leaders in key sectors of our economy. Growing Québec businesses is a priority, which is why we have stepped up our efforts in recent years to support numerous start-ups with venture capital. We will continue to strengthen the capital chain in order to stimulate innovation and economic development in Québec," stated Bicha Ngo, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.

"We are pleased to support an experienced management team with a strong track record in the pharmaceutical industry. The creation of CELYSTRA reflects the dynamism of Quebec's life sciences ecosystem and the opportunity to bring innovative therapies to patients in Canada," added Ludovic André, Managing Director Crédit Mutuel Equity.

About CELYSTRA

CELYSTRA is a Quebec-based Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying, acquiring, and commercializing innovative therapies developed internationally. The company is committed to bringing these treatments to underserved patient populations in Canada and improving access to medicines that address unmet medical needs. See: www.celystrapharma.com

SOURCE CELYSTRA Pharma

Media contact: Serge Vallières, 438-372-3575, [email protected]