WPD Pharmaceuticals
WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO, FSE: 8SV1) is a publicly traded Canadian holding company with no active operations, holding approximately 7% of its former Polish oncology R&D subsidiary, WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What WPD Pharmaceuticals does
WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO, FSE: 8SV1) is a publicly traded Canadian holding company headquartered in Vancouver that, as of late 2022, has no active business operations. The entity originated as Sparrow Ventures Corp. (IPO 2008), was later renamed Westcot Ventures Corp., and in December 2019 completed a reverse takeover of WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o., a Poland-based biotechnology R&D company focused on oncology drug development. Following a November 2022 restructuring, WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. lost control of the Polish subsidiary and now retains only an approximately 7% equity stake; the Polish entity continues to develop drug candidates including Berubicin (recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, Phase 1B/2), Annamycin in liposomal form (acute myeloid leukemia and soft tissue sarcoma lung metastases, Phase 1B/2), WP1066 (STAT3 inhibitor, FDA IND-approved in pediatric brain cancer), and WP1122 (glycolysis inhibition, including SARS-CoV-2 work), all licensed from Wake Forest University Health Sciences. Historical revenue mechanics centered on licensing royalties and government grant funding (notably ~C$7.4M for Berubicin, ~C$6.7M for Annamycin, and ~US$6.3M for liposomal Annamycin AML development), with cumulative drug-development spend exceeding US$100M as of February 2020; the parent entity itself currently generates no revenue.
WPD Pharmaceuticals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WPD Pharmaceuticals
- Legal name
- WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Website
- https://wpdpharmaceuticals.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO, FSE: 8SV1) is a publicly traded Canadian holding company with no active operations, holding approximately 7% of its former Polish oncology R&D subsidiary, WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WPD Pharmaceuticals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oncology Pharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hematology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Non-malignant) (HLAIACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Endocrinology & Metabolic Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAD)
Keywords
Where WPD Pharmaceuticals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
WPD Pharmaceuticals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Licensing Royalties: The company generates no active revenue currently. WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO) has no active business operations. The company's sole asset is shares (approximately 7%) in its former subsidiary WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o., a biotechnology R&D company in Poland that focuses on oncology drug development.
- Grant Funding: The company has historically received government grants for drug development including C$7.4 million grant for Berubicin development and $6.3M grant for liposomal Annamycin development for AML treatment.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
WPD Pharmaceuticals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on oncology research and development of medicinal products involving biological compounds and small molecules. Its pipeline includes licensed drug candidates such as Berubicin (for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme), Annamycin (for AML and soft tissue sarcoma lung metastases), WP1066 (a STAT3 inhibitor), and WP1122 (a glycolysis inhibitor). The company currently has no active business operations and holds approximately 7% of its former Polish subsidiary, WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase 1B/2 clinical trials ongoing for Berubicin in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use WPD Pharmaceuticals
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WPD Pharmaceuticals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
WPD Pharmaceuticals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wake Forest University Health SciencescoreWPD Pharmaceuticals signed an annex to its license agreement with Wake Forest University Health Sciences in May 2022. The company holds exclusive sublicense rights for Berubicin, Annamycin, WP1066, and WP1122 drug candidates. Berubicin sublicense rights were secured in perpetuity in February 2022.
- EuroNanoMedminorWPD Pharmaceuticals signed a consortium agreement with EuroNanoMed in March 2022 as part of an international research consortium.
- Moleculin BiotechcoreWPD Pharmaceuticals entered into an amended and restated sublicense agreement with Moleculin Biotech in January 2022, following an initial agreement in March 2021. The agreement covers WP1066, WP1122, and Annamycin drug candidates.
- ClinigenminorWPD Pharmaceuticals contracted Clinigen Clinical Supplies Management to perform QP (Qualified Person) certification of Berubicin for clinical trial authorization.
- Worldwide Clinical TrialscoreWPD Pharmaceuticals engaged Worldwide Clinical Trials as a CRO (Contract Research Organization) for Phase 2 Berubicin trials in September 2020, with additional support engaged in February 2021.
- CNS PharmaceuticalscoreWPD Pharmaceuticals partnered with CNS Pharmaceuticals on drug development, including clinical trials for Berubicin in Poland. The companies identified leading Polish medical institutions for Berubicin Phase 2 clinical trial and received positive opinion from the Polish Central Ethics Committee.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
WPD Pharmaceuticals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moleculin Biotech: Co-development partner on Annamycin, WP1066, and WP1122 via amended and restated sublicense agreement. Highly comparable as a small-cap oncology biotech advancing the same drug candidates that originally underpinned WPD's pipeline.
- CNS Pharmaceuticals: Partner advancing Berubicin Phase 1B/2 trials for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, with Polish clinical sites jointly identified. Directly comparable as a small-cap oncology biotech focused on the same lead asset.
- Kazia Therapeutics: Small-cap oncology biotech with lead asset paxalisib in glioblastoma. Comparable therapeutic focus (GBM, high unmet need) and similar company stage/size profile to the operating business previously housed in WPD's subsidiary.
- TuHURA Biosciences: Formed via merger with Kintara Therapeutics; focused on novel approaches to glioblastoma and other cancers. Comparable as a micro-cap oncology biotech targeting similar indications with similar regulatory/clinical risk profile.
- Mustang Bio: Clinical-stage biopharma developing cell and gene therapies for oncology and rare diseases. Comparable as a small-cap public biotech with limited operating cash flow and ongoing capital-raising needs.
- Cardiff Oncology: Clinical-stage oncology biotech developing therapeutics for KRAS-mutated cancers. Comparable in size, stage, and public small-cap oncology profile to the type of business historically operated by WPD's Polish subsidiary.
- Aprea Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharma developing novel oncology therapeutics targeting the p53 pathway. Comparable as a small-cap public oncology biotech with similar cash burn and dependency on clinical milestones for valuation.
Regional players
- InMed Pharmaceuticals: Canada-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule drug candidates. Comparable as a domestic (Canadian) small-cap biotech with similar listing profile and life-sciences focus.
Broad incumbents
- Roche: Global pharmaceutical incumbent with extensive oncology franchise including GBM treatments. Relevant as a broad incumbent that competes for the same oncology indications WPD's former subsidiary targets and that could potentially acquire/license comparable assets.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb: Large-cap global pharma with a deep oncology and hematology portfolio. Provides broad incumbent context for the oncology indications WPD's former subsidiary was pursuing, and represents a plausible strategic acquirer profile.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WPD Pharmaceuticals social profiles
Digital presenceWPD Pharmaceuticals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WPD Pharmaceuticals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
WPD Pharmaceuticals subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
WPD Pharmaceuticals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WPD Pharmaceuticals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WPD Pharmaceuticals
What does WPD Pharmaceuticals do?
WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on oncology research and development of medicinal products involving biological compounds and small molecules. Its pipeline includes licensed drug candidates such as Berubicin (for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme), Annamycin (for AML and soft tissue sarcoma lung metastases), WP1066 (a STAT3 inhibitor), and WP1122 (a glycolysis inhibitor). The company currently has no active business operations and holds approximately 7% of its former Polish subsidiary, WPD Pharmaceuticals Sp. z o.o.
Is WPD Pharmaceuticals a public or private company?
WPD Pharmaceuticals is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was WPD Pharmaceuticals founded?
WPD Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WPD Pharmaceuticals based?
WPD Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does WPD Pharmaceuticals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing Royalties are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are WPD Pharmaceuticals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moleculin Biotech, CNS Pharmaceuticals, Kazia Therapeutics, TuHURA Biosciences, Mustang Bio, Cardiff Oncology and Aprea Therapeutics. InMed Pharmaceuticals is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Roche and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Does WPD Pharmaceuticals have an API?
No public API is recorded for WPD Pharmaceuticals.
What industry is WPD Pharmaceuticals in?
WPD Pharmaceuticals's product category is Oncology Pharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIACAI, Hematology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Non-malignant), with a secondary code of HLAIACAD, Endocrinology & Metabolic Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.