Scimar investors gather for update

More than 60 Scimar investors, staff, consultants, and other friends gathered on Saturday, December 7, to learn about the company’s progress in the lab and in the community.

The event, held at St. Boniface Hospital’s Albrechtsen Research Centre, shone a bright light on the Wellness Transformation Network (WTN), Scimar’s innovative community outreach initiative designed to promote well-being and advance the science of nutrient partitioning and hepatic insulin-sensitizing substance (HISS) — the cornerstones of a new paradigm in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

“A year ago at our investor event we described the vision of the WTN in very broad terms. Details were still being worked out at the time,” says Mick Lautt, Scimar’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year we were able to explain the program in more complete terms and confirm a number of partnerships. The program will be fully functional within a few months.”

Another celebrated idea that went from vision to reality in 2019 is NuPa Test, Scimar’s diagnostic test beverage. “Last year, we described the product we were developing,” says Lautt. “This year, our guests were able to hold the finished package in their hands. There were literally 20,000 units on the way to Winnipeg while we held the event.”

The formal part of the event was hosted by Scimar investor and consultant, Charles (Chuck) LaFlèche. Guest speakers were Chief Marcel Moody of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), a Scimar investor; and Dave Angus, President of Johnston Group, also a Scimar investor.

“It’s hard to find a family in my community that hasn’t been touched by this disease,” said Chief Moody in describing the impact of type 2 diabetes in NCN. “As Scimar investors, we all know that this disease is growing in prominence and affecting many people in Manitoba and the world. Simply put, type 2 diabetes is a crisis in Manitoba’s north and it is getting worse… When we met Mick Lautt and learned about Scimar’s science and about the investment opportunity, we paid attention. From a health perspective, we are eager for a new approach. A new direction. We need better outcomes for people who have the disease; and we need better strategies and tools for preventing the disease in the first place.”

“As a national employee benefits company, we see the impact of illness. We see the impact of disease. We see what happens to families, companies, and communities when type 2 diabetes and heart disease begin to take their toll,” said Dave Angus. “As Manitobans, we are proud of Scimar’s progress and drive. They epitomize all that is wonderful about business in Manitoba. As advocates for community well-being, we are impressed and inspired by the design of Scimar’s outreach initiative, the Wellness Transformation Network. As investors looking for a meaningful financial return, we are confident that this is the right science being advanced by the right people in the right way at the right time.”

The guest speakers were followed by a short video outlining the significance of the WTN from an investment perspective, and a panel discussion with Mick Lautt, Chief Development Officer John West, and Scimar’s Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Wayne Lautt.

To enthusiastic applause, Dr. Lautt announced that Scimar’s science team had successfully synthesized the HISS molecule and that recently approved clinical trials will produce the human blood samples required to confirm the molecular structure of HISS in humans. Recruitment of participants for the trials will begin in early 2020. Guests were also happy to learn that Scimar is running at 25 percent below budget and a year ahead of schedule.

Following the formal part of the event, guests enjoyed refreshments, live jazz, and tours of Scimar’s lab and the facility where clinical trials will take place.

“We were very excited by the turnout and by the enthusiasm of our guests,” says Mick Lautt. “I think there is a very strong sense that we have made good progress, that the business is sound, and that the science is exciting. We are on the brink of a transformational change in human health.”