BLES Biochemicals Inc.

About BLES Biochemicals Inc.

BLES Biochemicals Inc. is a privately owned, Canadian-controlled pharmaceutical company located in the Airport neighbourhood of London. The company specializes in the manufacture and distribution of pulmonary surfactants, specifically serving the medical community to treat premature infants who suffer from Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The company produces BLES®, a bovine lipid extract surfactant that is unique in that it has no generic form. This product is extracted from bovine lung surfactant through a process that removes hydrophilic proteins while selecting for hydrophobic phospholipids and specific proteins. BLES® is designed for intratracheal instillation in a clinical setting and is intended to rapidly improve lung compliance and oxygenation. The company also markets its product under the brand name Neosurf in international markets, such as India. The origins of the company date back to the early 1970s, when Dr. Fred Possmayer and his colleagues at The University of Western Ontario began research on surfactant collection using an intact lung lavage process. This method was chosen to maintain a natural ratio of proteins to phospholipids while reducing impurities. Dr. Possmayer collaborated with Dr. David Bjarneson and Dr. Harold Nigh to establish a mission of providing high-quality surfactants to save premature babies. After a series of safety and multicentre trials across Ontario and Canada, the company was incorporated in 1992. BLES® received drug approval in Canada in 2002. The company's work has been recognized by The Council of Ontario Universities as one of the top five discoveries made at an Ontario university. To date, the company has expanded its distribution globally, with over 160,000 patients treated worldwide. The product is available in 3ml and 5ml vials and is stored under specific frozen or refrigerated conditions to maintain its 36-month shelf life.