BROOMFIELD, Colorado, August 21, 2026 — WiTii Pharmaceuticals Inc., a preclinical life sciences company developing treatments for diabetic foot ulcers, today announced continued development of its locally delivered Cathepsin K inhibitor program for chronic diabetic wounds.
Diabetic foot ulcers are a complication of diabetes that can be associated with prolonged treatment, infection, hospitalization, and risk of lower-extremity amputation. Clinical management may include wound debridement, pressure offloading, infection management, vascular assessment, dressings, negative-pressure wound therapy, and advanced wound-care products where appropriate. Some ulcers remain difficult to heal, particularly where the diabetic wound environment disrupts normal tissue-repair processes.
WiTii's investigational program focuses on Cathepsin K, a protease associated with degradation of the extracellular matrix in diabetic wounds. The extracellular matrix contains structural proteins, including collagen, elastin, and fibronectin, that help provide the environment needed for cells to migrate and repair damaged tissue. Persistent breakdown of this scaffold may interfere with fibroblast and keratinocyte activity and contribute to delayed wound closure.
The company is developing a low-dose therapeutic candidate intended for local administration at the wound site. The program is designed to evaluate whether inhibition of Cathepsin K can help preserve extracellular-matrix integrity and support tissue-repair processes in diabetic wounds. The candidate is intended for use as an adjunct alongside existing standard-of-care approaches for diabetic foot ulcers, including debridement, offloading, dressings, and advanced wound-care products, rather than as a replacement for these established practices.
Current development activities include preclinical formulation work, pharmacokinetic characterization, safety assessment, and efficacy evaluation. The program is advancing along a pre-IND pathway, during which the company is compiling nonclinical data to support future engagement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ahead of an eventual Investigational New Drug application.
WiTii holds an exclusive license from the University of Wyoming related to the use of Cathepsin K inhibition in wound healing. The company's scientific leadership includes Dr. Sreejayan Nair, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, whose research contributed to the development of the underlying mechanism.
The Cathepsin K approach has been evaluated in published preclinical research involving human cell systems and diabetic animal models. Those studies provide a scientific basis for continued investigation, and findings to date are preclinical in nature.
The company plans to continue preclinical development activities, including optimization of local delivery, characterization of pharmacokinetics and safety, and preparation for future regulatory discussions as part of its pre-IND pathway.
About WiTii Pharmaceuticals Inc.
WiTii Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a preclinical life sciences company based in Broomfield, Colorado. The company is developing a locally delivered therapeutic candidate for diabetic foot ulcers intended to address Cathepsin K-associated extracellular-matrix degradation in diabetic wounds, for use alongside existing standard-of-care therapies. WiTii's program is currently on a pre-IND pathway toward future regulatory engagement.
Media Contact
Anand Shukla
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
WiTii Pharmaceuticals Inc.
[email protected]
www.witiipharma.com
