Solstice Biologics

About Solstice Biologics

Solstice Biologics LLC, established in 2012, is a biotechnology firm centered on advancing the field of nucleic acid therapeutics. The company was co-founded by Dr. Steven Dowdy, a professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Curt Bradshaw, who brought over two decades of drug discovery experience from the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors to his role as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Dowdy's academic research, particularly his work in developing RNAi triggers with neutral, bioreversible phosphotriester groups, laid the scientific groundwork for the company.

The core of Solstice Biologics' strategy revolves around a significant challenge in drug development: delivering RNA-based therapeutics across cell membranes to target a wide array of tissues. To address this, the company secured an exclusive license for technology developed in Dr. Dowdy's lab at UC San Diego. This technology focuses on creating small, cell-permeable RNA interference (RNAi) pro-drugs, termed RiboNucleic Neutrals (RNNs), and their next-generation version, siRNNs. These proprietary molecules are designed to be stable and capable of entering various cell types, a crucial step in unlocking the therapeutic potential of RNAi to access a large portion of the human genome that is inaccessible to conventional drug discovery methods.

The company's business model is rooted in the research and development of these delivery technologies to create human therapeutics for a broad spectrum of diseases. Solstice Biologics operates in the drug discovery market, specifically focusing on the RNAi therapeutics segment. Its primary clients are anticipated to be larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that would partner or license its technology for their drug development pipelines. The company's financial journey began with a significant $18 million Series A financing round in January 2013, led by venBio and Aeris Capital AG. This initial funding was followed by subsequent rounds, including raising $7.5 million in 2014 and another $4 million in late 2015, bringing its total funding to $40 million over several rounds.