RS Research

RS Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 by Professor Rana Sanyal and Sena Nomak. The company focuses on developing smart nanomedicines for targeted chemotherapy to treat cancer. Its core technology is a proprietary drug delivery platform, Sagitta®, which uses biodegradable nanocarriers to deliver chemotherapeutic agents directly to tumor cells. This targeted approach aims to increase the effectiveness of treatment while reducing the severe side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy. The platform is versatile, allowing for the development of drug candidates for various cancer indications and is protected by patents in 58 countries.

Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Rana Sanyal, has an extensive background in medicinal chemistry, with a PhD from Boston University and experience at Amgen. She has been a professor at Boğaziçi University since 2004, focusing on targeted drug delivery systems, and is an inventor on over 50 patents. Co-founder and COO, Sena Nomak, is a serial entrepreneur with a background in marine engineering and business development in the shipbuilding and defense industries before entering biotechnology. The company was established as an academic spin-off from Boğaziçi University and utilizes the infrastructure of the university's Center for Life Sciences and Technologies for its early-stage studies.

RS Research's business model centers on the discovery, development, and eventual commercialization of its pipeline of drug candidates. The company also provides services for pre-clinical studies. Its lead candidate, RS-0139, which delivers a docetaxel payload, is currently in Phase I clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The company has five drug candidates in its portfolio based on the Sagitta® technology. To support its clinical trials, RS Research operates its own GMP-licensed manufacturing facility. The company has secured significant funding, including a seed round of €2 million in 2017 and a Series A round of $12 million in 2021, led by GEN with participation from OneLife and Eczacıbaşı Momentum.

Keywords: nanomedicine, targeted chemotherapy, drug delivery platform, oncology, biotechnology, clinical-stage, cancer therapy, Sagitta platform, drug development, nanocarriers, preclinical studies, pharmaceutical, polymer-drug conjugates, docetaxel, non-small cell lung cancer, targeted therapy