Arthropharm Founder
David Cullis-Hill
BVSc, FACVS, DVR, MRCVS, MSc
David is the founder and Managing Director of Arthropharm Pty Ltd, headquartered in Sydney, Australia and employs 30 staff in the research, manufacture, testing, and distribution of pharmaceuticals with sites in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.
As a world leader in the research & development of sulfated polysaccharides for use in human & veterinary medicines since the 1990s, Arthropharm has pioneered the veterinary development of pentosan polysulfate (PPS) as a disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug under the brand Cartrophen®️. In humans, PPS has been registered for >30 years under the brand name Elmiron®️ and marketed globally as a safe and effective treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC).
Early in his career, David studied under the highly respected Dr Peter Ghosh at the Raymond Purves Bone and Joint Research Laboratory at the University of Sydney, and practised in the veterinary area of thoroughbred horses, and later small animals throughout Sydney. His main areas of interest are osteoarthritis and the chemistry of memory and cognition. Other current research projects include maculopathy, and acute and long COVID.
David is acutely interested in expanding indications for PPS, and has developed novel theories and researched mechanisms of action of this drug in other disease conditions, holding 95 patents (23 on the use of PPS and nine for the use of PPS in SARS-CoV-2), and has made 27 publications.
David holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney, a Diploma of Veterinary Radiology from Cambridge University, a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology from Trinity College Dublin, is a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists, and is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.