From sounding like a companion of Thor speciality biopharma Aeterna Zentaris is no more: Meet COSCIENS Biopharma.
This naming rebrand comes amid some big changes for the biotech and diagnostics company. Just two months ago, then Aeterna completed an all-stock merger with botanical biotech Ceapro, a fellow Canadian native, as it looked to change lanes after some big changes in its projects.
Last January, the company shelved its earlier stage vaccine and COVID work, which itself came off the back of Novo Nordisk in 2022 cutting ties with Aeterna on the development and commercialization license agreement for Macrilen (macimorelin), an oral test indicated for the diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD).
The company retains rights to (Macrilen, which is approved in the EU and U.S. for the diagnosis of AGHD. The newly merged company will continue working on the development of that test alongside Ceapro’s pipeline of botanical research products, including oat beta glucan and avenanthramides.
With the name change, COSCIENS will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq under the symbol “CSCI” and cast off its former “AEZS” ticker.
The reason for the name change was not given though it is likely a play on co-science, i.e., doing science together.