Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. (Stellar) began as a private, U.S.-based company (Port Hueneme, California) in 1999.

Stellar was founded to address the urgent need for sustained commercial-scale supplies of high quality keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Through multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science (NSF), the company developed leading practices, facilities and proprietary capabilities to address this need.

The founders included leading aquaculture executive Frank Oakes (CEO) formerly of The Abalone Farm, Inc., and eminent scientist, Daniel E. Morse, Ph.D. of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Mr. Oakes and Dr. Morse were joined in by financial services entrepreneur, Darrell Brookstein, in 2009.

In April 2010, Stellar went public on the TSX Venture Exchange with a simultaneous financing transaction.

Stellar specializes in production of KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) and has generated important intellectual property (IP). This IP relates to aquaculture technologies, spawning, selection and maintenance of the limited natural source of this important pharmaceutical material (Megathura crenulata), as well as processing, purification and engineering of specific stabilized formulations of this valuable protein.

Stellar has generated revenues since 2001 and its customers and partners include multi-national pharmaceutical companies, world-renowned laboratories and research centers, as well as biotechnology companies and vaccine developers.

KLH is a potent immune-stimulating protein used in a new class of drugs known as conjugate vaccines. KLH is refined from the hemocyanin of the rare ocean mollusk, Megathura crenulata (the California giant keyhole limpet). The extreme complexity and very large size of KLH glycoprotein make it unsuitable for synthetic production; therefore it must be purified from its natural source, which is rare and diminishing in population. Read more about KLH.

KLH is used as an essential carrier protein in vaccines being developed for use in oncology, cardiology (e.g. hypertension), rheumatology (arthritis), neurology (Alzheimer's), and other important clinical indications.

KLH is also widely used as a standard antigen in diagnostic applications such as immunotoxicology and assessment of immune status.

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Stellar Biotechnologies' core competencies include:

• The world's only demonstrated aquaculture technology for sustainable growth and cultivation of Megathura crenulata and production of KLH.
• Patented hemolymph extraction methods that enable sustainable, controlled supply of KLH protein.
• Proprietary purification methods for GMP-grade KLH (patents pending).
• Product specifications tailored to meet pharmaceutical standards and custom dose forms.
• Deep knowledge base of KLH biochemistry and immunology.