Sitka Biopharma

Sitka Biopharma, founded in 2013, was a preclinical biotechnology firm that emerged as a spin-off from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), now known as adMare BioInnovations. The company was established based on the scientific work of its founding scientists, Dr. Helen Burt and Dr. Don Brooks, both from UBC. Dr. Burt, a distinguished pharmaceutical scientist, has focused her career on nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, while Dr. Brooks is a Professor of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, and Chemistry at UBC. Their combined expertise in drug delivery and polymer science formed the technological foundation of the company.

The company's core business centered on developing a proprietary mucoadhesive polymer platform to enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to difficult-to-penetrate tissues. This technology aimed to solve a critical challenge in localized cancer treatment: ensuring that therapeutic agents adhere to and penetrate the targeted tissue for a sufficient duration to be effective. Sitka's business model revolved around advancing its technology through preclinical and clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of partnering with larger pharmaceutical companies or achieving regulatory approval for commercialization. The primary clients would have been oncology departments and healthcare providers seeking more effective cancer treatments. Over its lifespan, the company secured approximately $3.1 million in funding through several seed rounds from investors including Quark Venture and CDRD.

Sitka's lead product candidate was STK-01, a formulation that combined the established chemotherapy drug docetaxel with the company's hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) nanoparticle technology. This product was specifically designed for the intravesical treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, a condition known for high recurrence rates and the highest lifetime treatment cost per patient of all cancers. Preclinical studies showed that STK-01 significantly improved the uptake and retention of docetaxel in bladder tissue compared to conventional formulations. The company had entered into an agreement with Cancer Research UK to advance STK-01 into Phase 1 clinical trials. Beyond bladder cancer, Sitka envisioned applying its platform technology to other localized cancers, such as ovarian cancer. Despite its promising technology and partnerships, the company ceased operations, with its status listed as 'Out of Business' as of April 2022.

Keywords: Sitka Biopharma, drug delivery, nanoparticle platform, bladder cancer, STK-01, chemotherapy, mucoadhesive polymer, docetaxel, University of British Columbia, CDRD, adMare BioInnovations, preclinical biotechnology, oncology, hyperbranched polyglycerol, intravesical delivery, localized cancer therapy, Dr. Helen Burt, Dr. Don Brooks, Quark Venture, Cancer Research UK