What RS Research does

RS Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 as an academic spin-off from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, by Prof. Rana Sanyal (Co-Founder & CSO) and Sena Nomak (Co-Founder & COO). The company is developing targeted oncology therapies through its proprietary Sagitta® drug-delivery platform, a family of polymer-drug conjugate nanocarrier technologies engineered to address the long-standing efficacy-toxicity trade-off in chemotherapy. The platform comprises three technical variants: Sagitta® Bir, a water-soluble polymer backbone that forms stable nanocarriers for enhanced payload integrity (used by lead candidate RS-0139); Sagitta® Dui, a micellar nanoparticle architecture enabling dual-payload delivery (used by RS-0337); and Sagitta® Radix, a design framework for precise disease-site targeting via monoclonal antibodies or peptides in radiotheranostic applications. The current pipeline spans eight investigational programs — five targeted chemotherapy candidates (RS-0139 for solid tumors including NSCLC, RS-0337 for breast cancer, RS-0461 and RS-0625 for ovarian cancer, RS-0735 for pancreatic cancer) and three radiotheranostic candidates (RS-0826, RS-0964, RS-1047).

The company operates its own GMP-certified manufacturing facility at Teknopark Istanbul, enabling in-house synthesis and aseptic filling of lyophilized clinical trial material, and holds EMA Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) status. International operations are routed through a wholly-owned Swiss subsidiary, PDC Therapeutics SA, established in 2020 at the Biopôle/StartLab incubator in Lausanne. RS Research is pre-revenue and currently monetizes through a future expected mix of out-licensing deals, co-development partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, and eventual direct drug commercialization. To date the company has raised over $20 million USD from a syndicate comprising strategic pharmaceutical investor GEN İlaç (lead, $12M Series A in December 2021), Turkish VC funds (OneLife Ventures/İstanbul Portföy, Eczacıbaşı Momentum, ACT Venture Partners) and non-dilutive sources including a 2024 European Innovation Council grant. In May 2026 the company announced successful Phase 1 completion of RS-0139 in solid tumors with markedly improved hematologic safety versus conventional chemotherapy, and is preparing an international Phase 2 program targeted for Q1 2027.

Name

RS Research

Legal name

RS Research

Website

https://rsresearch.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RS Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted oncology therapies using its proprietary Sagitta® nanocarrier drug-delivery platform. Founded in 2015 in Istanbul, it advances polymer-drug conjugates and radiotheranostic candidates for solid tumors from GMP manufacturing facilities in Turkey and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Targeted Oncology Therapeutics

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Oncology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) & Antibody Conjugates (HLAAAAAE), Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB), Formulation & Preclinical CMC Support (Nonclinical) (HLAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Targeted oncology therapies
• Nanomedicine drug delivery
• Polymer-drug conjugates
• Radiotheranostic development
• Clinical-stage biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drug Development and Commercialization: RS Research is a pre-revenue clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted oncology therapies. Revenue generation is anticipated through drug commercialization upon regulatory approval, co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, and potential licensing agreements for the Sagitta® platform technology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RS Research develops targeted oncology therapies using its proprietary Sagitta® nanocarrier drug delivery platform, which encompasses Sagitta® Bir (water-soluble polymer backbone forming stable nanocarriers), Sagitta® Dui (micellar nanoparticles for dual-payload delivery), and Sagitta® Radix (mAb/peptide-targeted theranostics). The company is advancing a pipeline of targeted chemotherapy candidates (RS-0139 lead asset in Phase 1, RS-0337, RS-0461, RS-0625, RS-0735) and radiotheranostic programs (RS-0826, RS-0964, RS-1047) with integrated GMP-certified manufacturing in Istanbul.

Product overview

RS Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted oncology therapies using its proprietary Sagitta® drug delivery platform. The platform consists of three distinct technologies: Sagitta® Bir (water-soluble polymer backbone for nanocarrier formation, used by lead candidate RS-0139), Sagitta® Dui (micellar nanoparticle platform, used by candidate RS-0337), and Sagitta® Radix (monoclonal antibody/peptide-based targeting for theranostics). The company has a pipeline of five targeted chemotherapy drug candidates (RS-0139, RS-0337, RS-0461, RS-0625, RS-0735) and three radiotheranostic candidates (RS-0826, RS-0964, RS-1047). RS Research operates its own GMP-certified manufacturing facility and holds EMA SME status. The company was founded in 2015 as an academic spin-off from Boğaziçi University by Prof. Rana Sanyal and Sena Nomak, with operations in Istanbul, Turkey and Lausanne, Switzerland (via subsidiary PDC Therapeutics).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sagitta®: Proprietary drug delivery platform technology for targeted chemotherapy and theranostics, including Sagitta® Bir and Sagitta® Dui variants.
• Sagitta® Bir
• Sagitta® Dui
• Sagitta® Radix

Products and services

• Sagitta® Drug Delivery Platform Proprietary nanocarrier drug delivery platform technology for targeted chemotherapy and theranostics, enabling selective delivery of cytotoxic and radiolabeled payloads to tumor tissue via polymer-drug conjugates. Offered for co-development partnerships and licensing to pharmaceutical companies.
• RS-0139 Lead investigational drug candidate using Sagitta® Bir polymer nanocarrier for targeted delivery of docetaxel to solid tumors, intended for patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors including NSCLC. Phase 1 trial demonstrated markedly improved hematologic safety.
• RS-0337 Drug candidate developed with Sagitta® Dui platform targeting breast cancer, using micellar nanoparticle technology for enhanced payload delivery and tumor accumulation.
• RS-0461 Drug candidate in discovery stage targeting ovarian cancer, developed using Sagitta® platform technology for targeted chemotherapy delivery.
• RS-0625 Dual-payload smart chemotherapy candidate targeting ovarian cancer, designed to deliver combination therapy using Sagitta® platform technology for synergistic anti-tumor effects.
• RS-0735

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 1 trial demonstrated markedly improved hematologic safety compared with conventional chemotherapy
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PDC Therapeutics SAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Swiss subsidiary established in 2020 for global market access and international expansion. Located at StartLab c/o Biopôle SA in Lausanne, Switzerland. Serves as vehicle for international clinical development and strategic partnerships.
• Boğaziçi University Center for Life Sciences and TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Academic research partnership from which RS Research originated as spin-off. Company has utilized the center's infrastructure since early-stage studies. Co-Founder Prof. Rana Sanyal serves as Director of the Center since 2013.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nanobiotix: French clinical-stage nanomedicine company developing NBTXR3 for solid tumors. Comparable in using nanoparticle platforms to improve therapeutic index in oncology indications.
• CytImmune Sciences: Clinical-stage oncology company developing tumor-targeted gold nanoparticle therapies (Aurilumab). Directly comparable in tumor-targeted nanocarrier delivery for solid tumors.
• Nanospectra Biosciences: Clinical-stage developer of AuroLase, a gold nanoshell-based therapy for prostate cancer. Comparable clinical-stage nanoparticle oncology platform player.
• Mersana Therapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology biotech developing targeted nanomedicines via proprietary Dolasynthen and Dolaflexin platforms for solid tumors. Most direct comparable in the tumor-targeted polymer-drug conjugate space.

Emerging players

• Bicycle Therapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology biotech using constrained bicyclic peptides for targeted tumor delivery. Comparable in using alternative targeting moieties to deliver cytotoxic payloads to solid tumors.
• ProfoundBio: Clinical-stage oncology biotech developing targeted antibody-drug conjugates and other therapeutics. Comparable as a smaller clinical-stage targeted oncology company pursuing platform approaches.
• Molecular Templates: Clinical-stage oncology biotech developing engineered toxin bodies for targeted tumor killing. Comparable clinical-stage targeted oncology modality company.
• Cerulean Pharma: Historical clinical-stage nanoparticle-drug conjugate developer (now part of Daré Bioscience). Comparable historical peer in tumor-targeted nanomedicine delivery for oncology.
• BIND Therapeutics: Historical targeted nanomedicine platform company (acquired by Pfizer) that developed Accurin polymeric nanoparticles. Closely comparable historical peer in tumor-targeted polymer nanocarrier delivery.

Others

• GEN İlaç: Turkish specialty pharma investor and strategic partner of RS Research with GMP manufacturing and rare disease focus. Comparable as a strategic/financial backer operating at the intersection of pharma investment and biotech partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rs_research_tr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rs-research

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RS Research