In a revealing interview on Investor.Coffee, host Tracy Weslosky engages in an enlightening conversation with Brent Willis, President, CEO, and Director of Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM). This discussion sheds light on the company’s innovative strategies for 2024, marking its emergence as a leader in the pharmaceutical and medical imaging sectors. Willis offers a deep dive into how Voyageur Pharmaceuticals is preparing to redefine these industries with its trailblazing developments.

As a pioneering entity in the pharmaceutical and medical imaging industry, Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is renowned for its specialization in the development of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) for barium, iodine, and carbon, complemented by its advancement in high-performance, cost-effective imaging contrast agents. The Canadian firm is spearheading a strategic effort to vertically integrate the contrast imaging market. This ambitious endeavor involves producing its own minerals and establishing partnerships with reputable third-party GMP pharmaceutical manufacturers in Canada. With a clear aim to dominate the market, Voyageur is committed to ensuring its products meet stringent global regulatory standards. The company’s strategic roadmap includes aggressive expansion plans to break into international markets by late 2024 and to achieve FDA approvals for entry into the US and European markets by the end of 2025. These initiatives are reinforced by recent distribution agreements, underscoring Voyageur’s dedication to distributing its groundbreaking products on a global scale.

Adding to its commitment to innovation and market dominance, Voyageur’s portfolio boasts five licensed variant contrast products, directly addressing the acute global shortage of such agents, particularly focusing on barium contrast agents for radiology. The company stands on the brink of manufacturing these products, anticipating a substantial increase in revenue potential and aiming to secure a significant market share. This goal is facilitated by Voyageur’s strategic resource sourcing and manufacturing approach, especially its initiative to mine its own barium sulfate, promising to significantly reduce costs and boost its competitive advantage. The partnership with Rain Cage Carbon Inc. represents a major leap forward in imaging technology through the development of metallofullerene for MRI contrast agents. This collaboration not only sets the stage for introducing safer and more effective diagnostic tools but also reflects Voyageur’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Aiming to be the first carbon-neutral pharmaceutical company via carbon capture technology, Voyageur aligns its practices with its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, poised to make a significant impact on the imaging contrast agent market with its carbon-neutral agents and innovative manufacturing techniques. To access the complete interview, click here

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About Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Voyageur, a Canadian public company trading under the symbol VM on the TSX Venture Exchange, is in development of barium, iodine and carbon Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and high-performance, cost-effective imaging contrast agents. With a strategic focus on vertically integrating the barium, iodine and carbon contrast imaging market, Voyageur aims to become a key player by producing its own barium, iodine, and fullerene minerals.

Voyageur’s business plan is set to generate cash flow by partnering with established third-party GMP pharmaceutical manufacturers in Canada, ensuring the validation of its products by regulatory agencies worldwide. As the Company solidifies its presence in the market, it will transition into a high-margin domestic manufacturer of radiology drugs, further expanding its revenue streams.

Voyageur is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Company envisions a future where carbon neutrality is the norm, and to achieve this, it plans to build state-of-the-art carbon-neutral infrastructure. By investing in carbon neutral energy sources and sustainable manufacturing practices, it aims to become 100% self-sufficient across all its manufacturing activities. Voyageur’s commitment to the environment sets it apart as a pioneer in the industry.

At the core of the Company’s operations, Voyageur owns a 100% interest in two barium sulphate (barite) projects, including the Frances Creek and Pedley Mountain properties. Additionally, Voyageur holds interests in a high-grade iodine, lithium, and bromine brine project situated in Utah, USA, further bolstering its position in the industry. Voyageur also owns a 100% interest in two battery mineral projects which focus on copper/zinc development.

Voyageur’s ambitious vision is to become the first vertically integrated, carbon-neutral company in the imaging contrast media drug market. By controlling all primary input costs, from the sourcing of raw materials to final production, it plans to ensure unmatched quality and cost efficiency. Voyageur embodies the motto of ” From the Earth to the Bottle ,” highlighting its commitment to responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices.

To learn more about Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd., click here

Disclaimer: Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorNews Inc.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorNews Inc. (“InvestorNews”), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all material information concerning the Company, including important disclosure and risk factors associated with the Company, its business and an investment in its securities. InvestorNews offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

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The contrast media market is a large global market valued at $4.7 billion and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% through 2028. Contrast media are used in 189 million procedures annually.

Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM) is working to become the only fully integrated company in the radiographic contrast media business by developing barium and iodine contrast media. Voyageur owns a 100% interest in the Frances Creek Barium Project, suitable in grade for the pharmaceutical marketplace, with additional interests in a high-grade iodine, lithium & bromine brine project located in Utah, USA.

Voyageur will use barium from the Frances Creek Project and refine it to a barium product (SmoothX™) at their planned carbon-neutral pharmaceutical plant. Until the plan is completed they will rely on a third party. Voyageur has received Health Canada licenses for barium contrast media and has begun to produce and market products for Canada as they prepare to launch Canadian sales.

Voyageur’s Frances Creek is a Source of Barium and ULI is a Source of Iodine

Source: Voyageur company presentation

As announced early this month, Voyageur is preparing to launch its first product, SmoothX™ barium sulfate CT contrast media oral suspension for the CT imaging market in Canada. To advance sales in Canada, Voyageur has appointed a new Canadian Sales Manager, Ethan Mohan. Voyageur stated: “Ethan will be responsible for executing the Company’s sales program and has already begun meeting with Government Health Service agencies and private clinics across Canada.“

Health Canada licenses have already been approved for barium contrast media use in Canada. The next steps are the USA and international markets.

Voyageur continues to advance its applications with the U.S. Federal Drug Agency (“FDA”) for approvals to market barium contrast products in the USA. Voyageur states that they are “also advancing the development and testing of four additional imaging products and is moving forward positively as it relates to its first product application for approval from the FDA.“

Voyageur has a pipeline of 7 barium products and 3 iodine products all at various stages of approval, all of which aim to serve the West’s unmet need for contrast media products.

Voyageur Plans to Meet the West’s Demand for Non-Chinese Barium and Iodine Contrast Media

Source: Voyageur company presentation

Vertical integration strategy

Voyageur owns its own barium and iodine resource which means it can eliminate all middlemen in the supply chain to reduce overall costs. Once this strategy is accomplished, Voyageur aims to achieve the highest profit margin possible.

This is a prudent strategy but it just takes some time to fully develop it. In the meantime, Voyageur will use third parties where needed.

Voyageur Proposed Timeline: Barium and Iodine contrast media sales to expand globally using Voyageur’s integrated model by 2025-27

Source: Voyageur company presentation

Closing remarks

Voyageur recently raised approximately C$1.2 million in funds to be allocated toward the Company’s near-term goals. With Canadian sales just around the corner and potentially soon USA FDA approval, Voyageur looks set to sail in 2023.

Voyageur Pharmaceuticals trades with a market cap of C$13 million.

Barium and iodine-based radiographic contrast media (RCM) are types of RCM used in diagnostic imaging. Both work by attenuating X-rays to create clearer images of the body’s internal structures. Barium-based RCM is injested orally and used most often for gastrointestinal (GI) radiography and CT , while iodine-based RCM is injected and used primarily for gastrointestinal (GI) radiography and computed tomography (CT) and vascular radiography. These materials are critical for diagnostics and testing in the medical industry.

The Canadian radiology pharmaceutical industry is highly reliant on foreign suppliers, particularly in China. Geopolitical and supply chain issues can drive prices up significantly. Canada is vulnerable to disruptions in the Chinese supply chain. Moreover, quality control issues and intellectual property concerns have also been raised with respect to Chinese-made products.

As a result, the Canadian government has been working on a national strategy to de-couple from China for critical minerals and pharmaceuticals. In order to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, the industry needs more low-cost producers. One of the companies that is working to reduce this reliance is Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM).

This company has recently hit a large milestone that will help the company achieve its long-term goals. They recently finished a production test batch of their barium contrast suspension for computed tomography imaging, known as SmoothX. This testing batch was completed with their contract manufacturer, who recently received their FDA site registration.

The production test batch is an essential milestone in the development of Voyageur’s barium contrast agent, which is being developed as a potential alternative to current products on the market. Barium contrast agents are used in CT scanning to improve the visibility of certain structures and tissues. The successful production of SmoothX opens up the possibility of commercialization in Canada.

Achieving commercial volumes is a key milestone for the company as it looks to establish itself as a major player in the radiology pharmaceutical industry. The company is excited about the potential of SmoothX and believes that it has the potential to be a best-in-class contrast agent. Voyageur is committed to bringing this important new product to market and will continue to invest in its development and commercialization.

The company also holds Health Canada-approved licenses for a total of five barium contrast media products. These licenses give it a great opportunity to expand in the Canadian market. The long-term goal is to develop a fully integrated supply chain for barium and iodine contrast media in Canada. The company has the scale and scope to achieve this. It has a strong product portfolio and a robust research and development pipeline. These capabilities will enable the company to meet the needs of the Canadian market and potentially create shareholder value.

FDA approval is one of the next steps for Voyageur to begin sales in the US. They are also working on building a GMP barium contrast plant to process barium sulfate that would be supplied from their own Frances Creek barium project. This capability would allow them to produce their own product instead of relying on a third party. By controlling all aspects of its carbon footprint, Voyageur will be able to offer a completely carbon-neutral product to its customers.

The company has a 100% controlling interest in three barium sulfate projects, including the Frances Creek property. The Frances Creek property is suitable in grade for the pharmaceutical barite marketplace. In addition, Voyageur has an interest in a high-grade iodine, lithium, and bromine brine project located in Utah. This capability enhances the company’s unique sourcing capability to create its products from its own mineral deposits.

Voyageur’s objective is to become a leading global provider of pharmaceutical barite and high-grade iodine products by leveraging its extensive knowledge of geology, mineral processing, and product formulation. The company plans to achieve this by expanding its production capacity to meet growing demand from the medical imaging industry and continue to explore and develop its portfolio of mineral projects.

In a recent InvestorIntel interview, Jack Lifton spoke with Brent Willis, President and CEO of Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM) about Voyageur’s unique business model that makes them ‘extremely competitive’ in the medical imaging contrast media space.

In this InvestorIntel interview, which may also be viewed on YouTube (click here to subscribe to the InvestorIntel Channel), Brent said that Voyageur has a high purity pharmaceutical grade barium sulfate deposit in Canada ,the kind of which is rarely found. Voyageur is creating a fully integrated domestic North American supply chain for both barium and iodine based contrast agents using its own natural supplies of barium sulfate and iodine. In the interview, Brent highlighted the shortage of high-quality natural barium sulfate in the global market that currently requires relying on just one Chinese company and explained how Voyageur is positioned to break the current monopoly in the market.

To watch the full interview, click here

About Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Voyageur is a Canadian public company listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol VM. Voyageur is focused on the development of barite and iodine Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and high-performance cost-effective imaging contrast agents for the medical radiology marketplace.  Voyageur’s goal is to initially generate positive cash flow from operations using third party GMP pharmaceutical manufacturers in Canada and internationally. Ultimately, Voyageur has plans to build all the required infrastructure to become 100% self-sufficient with all manufacturing. Voyageur owns a 100% interest in three barium sulfate (barite) projects including the Frances Creek property, suitable in grade for the pharmaceutical barite marketplace, with interests in a high-grade iodine, lithium & bromine brine project located in Utah, USA.

Voyageur is moving forward with its business plan of becoming the only fully integrated company in the radiology medical field, by controlling all primary input costs under the motto of: “From the Earth to the Bottle”.

To learn more about Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd., click here

Disclaimer: Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp. (IIC) does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation.  Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken,  as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on www.Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

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