1

Voyageur Pharmaceutical’s Brent Willis on Revolutionizing the Medical Imaging Industry, plus SmoothX

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

Don’t miss other InvestorNews interviews. Subscribe to the InvestorNews YouTube channel by clicking here

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.

This interview and any transcriptions or reproductions thereof (collectively, this “presentation”) does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities in the Company. The information in this presentation is provided for informational purposes only and may be subject to updating, completion or revision, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any information herein. 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 the 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. This presentation should not be considered as the giving of investment advice by the Company or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees or advisors. Each person to whom this presentation is made available must make its own independent assessment of the Company after making such investigations and taking such advice as may be deemed necessary. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on SedarPlus.ca and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.




Voyageur Pharmaceuticals strategy is to remove the middleman and supply radiographic contrast media direct from mine to the X-ray center

Sourcing raw materials is one of today’s biggest problems, as a result companies are looking to have more localized supply chains. Some companies are going one step further and securing their own raw materials to become 100% vertically integrated. This typically removes most of the supply chain risk and lowers the products cost, making the company more resilient to supply chain disruptions and more competitive. In the case of pharmaceutical products it can also potentially remove any risks of contaminated or poor quality supply, a key factor for products going inside the human body.

Today’s company, Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSXV: VM) (“Voyageur”) is doing this in the radiographic contrast medium business by developing barium sulphate and iodine generic radiographic products for the healthcare market (contrast medium in X-rays, MRI & CT Scans).

Voyager is building a vertically integrated contrast medium supply business

Voyageur is unique, as it plans to source its own main ingredients from its own mineral deposits. Voyageur is building a business model that will allow it to be a fully integrated company in the radiographic market place.

Voyageur plans to build all the required infrastructure to become 100% self-sufficient with all manufacturing. Voyageur owns a 100% interest in three barium sulfate projects and has interests in a potentially high-grade iodine, lithium & bromine brine project located in Utah, USA.

The Frances Creek Barium Sulfate Project

The Frances Creek Barium Sulfate Project is the most advanced of the barium sulphate projects and Voyageur has recently raised funds to progress the project including preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility and a Frances Creek development study. The Project has 700 m of strike and is open in all directions. It has been drilled along a total of 220 m of strike, 90 m of true vertical depth, resulting in 166,210 tonnes of Indicated Resource grading 37.75% barium sulfate and 195,578 tonnes of Inferred Resource grading 35.4% barium sulfate.

The Frances Creek Barium Sulfate Project is located near the town of Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada

Source: Company presentation

Health Canada approvals and USA FDA device registrations in the pipeline

Voyageur has already recently announced two Health Canada approvals and issuance of product licenses for MultiX Ba and Radiographic Barium Contrast and has received approval from Health Canada for MultiX thick barium sulfate suspension as well as plans to move forward with FDA device registrations for the U.S. market. The FDA has only recently changed barium sulphate from a drug to a device, thereby making it easier to get approval for its uses in humans for contrast material used in X-rays.

Voyageur’s business strategy

Voyageur’s strategy is to generate near-term cash flow while building out quarry operations.

  • Phase 1: Source third party raw materials and use contract manufacturers to launch Voyageur’s brand. AVL Calgary facility to produce barium contrast, marketing and sales. Voyageur has begun to work on expansion of registrations in other jurisdictions outside of Canada. (USA, UK, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Australia).
  • Phase 2: Prepare Frances Creek deposit for bulk sample and API/barium contrast manufacturing plant. Once achieved, bulk sample expected to replace all third-party barium and allow for 100% production of contrast media material to be controlled by Voyageur, resulting in potentially highly competitive pricing.

Current status of Voyageur’s projects

Next steps

Source: Company presentation

Closing remarks

As the global population ages demand for X-rays, CT-scans and MRI’s is only increasing and that also means demand for contrast media.

Voyageur is different from other contrast media suppliers in that they are building a vertically integrated business to source materials from the mine all the way to the X-ray center. Their strategy aims to control supply and reduce costs by removing all the middlemen; thereby reducing price, delivery risk and increasing profitability. Voyageur state once achieved that they will be “the only pharmaceutical radiographic contrast company to utilize its own mineral resource”.

It’s not every day you get to buy into a development stage mining and pharmaceuticals company with a low market cap. Investors get the opportunity to benefit from two developing businesses in one – the mines and the pharmaceuticals business. Most interesting, especially considering that Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. trades on a market cap of just C$13 million. One to watch.