Vancouver, B.C. – On December 29, 2021, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, named Acuitas co-founder, Dr. Pieter Cullis, an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the advancement of biomedical research and drug development, and for his mentorship of the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs. An additional 134 Canadians were also appointed to the Order of Canada.
For many decades, Dr. Cullis has led a research team at the University of British Columbia, initially developing delivery systems for small molecule anticancer drugs and then focusing on novel nucleic acid therapeutics. In addition, Dr. Cullis has co-founded several biotechnology companies, including Acuitas Therapeutics.
Said Governor General Simon: “Canada is defined by the people that make up this great country. These most recent nominees to the Order of Canada are shining examples of the commitment and outstanding contributions Canadians have made to the well-being of communities throughout this land, whether it be social, environmental, scientific, economic, cultural or related to mental and physical health. To all of the nominees, congratulations and thank you.”
The Order of Canada is one of the nation’s highest honours. Created in 1967, it honours people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations and whose compassion unites our communities. More than 7,500 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order of Canada. Their contributions are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and have taken to heart the motto of the Order: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”).
About Acuitas Therapeutics
Founded in February 2009, Vancouver-based Acuitas Therapeutics (www.acuitastx.com) is a private biotechnology company that specializes in the development of delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics based on lipid nanoparticles. The company partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and academic institutes to advance nucleic acid therapeutics into clinical trials and to the marketplace. The team works with partners to develop new therapies to address unmet clinical needs based on its internationally recognized capabilities in delivery technology. Acuitas Therapeutics has agreements in place with several partners to use its proprietary lipid nanotechnology in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. These include Pfizer/BioNTech for COMIRNATY®, which has received full approval in the U.S. and Canada and is authorized for Emergency Use in Europe, the UK and many other countries.
