Vascarta
Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing VAS-101, a patented transdermal curcumin gel (Vasporta™/Vasceptor®) for sickle cell disease and osteoarthritis, with an oncology pipeline licensed from CUNY. Pre-revenue; FDA Orphan Drug Designation secured.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSummit, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vascarta does
Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing transdermal drug delivery treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases, with lead candidate VAS-101 (Vasceptor®) — a topical curcumin gel — advancing in Phase 1 trials for sickle cell disease and knee osteoarthritis. The company is built on two proprietary technology pillars: Vasporta™, a patented transdermal delivery system that bypasses the well-documented poor oral bioavailability of curcumin and offers a needle-free alternative to injections, and Vasceptor®, a curcumin-based formulation that demonstrates systemic therapeutic effect via red blood cell distribution. Beyond the lead asset, Vascarta has expanded its pipeline through an exclusive license to CUNY's novel oncology linker chemistry, producing preclinical candidates STO-1 (glioblastoma) and STO-2 (curcumin-Gemzar conjugate).
The company currently generates no commercial revenue; VAS-101 is distributed on a prescription basis exclusively through Town & Country Compounding Pharmacy in Ramsey, NJ, which is licensed to dispense to 22 U.S. states, while insurance coverage for compounded products is typically absent and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Primary patient populations are sickle cell disease patients (FDA Orphan Drug Designation received) and osteoarthritis patients (approximately 32.5 million U.S. adults and 500 million globally). Strategic partnerships include the NHLBI/NIH for the SCD Phase 1 study, the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research for clinical trial execution, CUNY for oncology, and the FDA CBER for mechanistic work. Vascarta is headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, was founded in 2020, and is led by Dr. Richard Prince (CEO), Dr. Joel Friedman (CSO), with Richard Serbin (ex-Johnson & Johnson) appointed as Chief Strategy Officer in June 2026.
Vascarta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vascarta
- Legal name
- Vascarta Inc.
- Website
- https://vascarta.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing VAS-101, a patented transdermal curcumin gel (Vasporta™/Vasceptor®) for sickle cell disease and osteoarthritis, with an oncology pipeline licensed from CUNY. Pre-revenue; FDA Orphan Drug Designation secured.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vascarta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Transdermal Pharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAA)
Keywords
Where Vascarta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Summit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vascarta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Vascarta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription transdermal curcumin-based treatments (lead candidate VAS-101 / Vasceptor®) for chronic inflammatory diseases, including sickle cell disease and knee osteoarthritis, using its proprietary Vasporta™ transdermal delivery platform. The company also holds an exclusive oncology licensing platform for CUNY-derived linker chemistry drug candidates (STO-1, STO-2) targeting cancers such as glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer.
Product overview
Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company built on a proprietary transdermal drug delivery platform (Vasporta™). The company's core product is VAS-101 (also marketed as Vasceptor®), a topical curcumin gel formulation that overcomes the poor oral bioavailability of curcumin through transdermal delivery. VAS-101 is in Phase I clinical trials for both sickle cell disease and knee osteoarthritis. Vascarta also operates an oncology licensing platform through an exclusive agreement with CUNY, developing drug candidates including STO-1 for glioblastoma and STO-2 (curcumin-Gemzar conjugate) for potential transdermal cancer treatment. The company is headquartered in Summit, New Jersey.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vasporta™: Patented transdermal delivery platform technology designed to improve absorption, eliminate the need for injections, and overcome oral bioavailability limitations.
- Vasceptor®
Products and services
- VAS-101 (Vasceptor®) Topical Transdermal Curcumin Gel VAS-101 (also marketed as Vasceptor®) is Vascarta's lead product candidate — a prescription-only topical/transdermal curcumin gel that uses the Vasporta™ delivery platform to overcome the poor oral bioavailability of curcumin. It is being developed for sickle cell disease and knee osteoarthritis, with FDA Orphan Drug Designation in the SCD indication. The product is dispensed exclusively through Town & Country Compounding Pharmacy in Ramsey, NJ, licensed to ship to 22 U.S. states.
Quantifiable outcome
- VAS-101 users reported 39.3% feeling 'much improved' or 'very much improved' compared with 13.3% in placebo group in osteoarthritis Phase 1b trial (60 patients over 28 days)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Vascarta
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vascarta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Vascarta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)coreFDA-led study demonstrated that Vascarta's transdermal curcumin formulation (VAS-101) improved cardiac mitochondrial function in a sickle cell disease mouse model by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics.
- CUNY (City University of New York)coreCollaboration for preclinical breakthrough in glioblastoma treatment using drug candidate STO-1, which selectively eliminates tumor cells in mice with high survival rate. Also collaborated to improve chemotherapy efficacy and safety through novel linker chemistry.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute / National Institutes of Health (NHLBI/NIH)coreSigned clinical trial agreement with Vascarta to perform Phase 1 clinical study of VAS-101 in sickle cell disease.
- Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR)coreClinical trial partner conducting Phase I pilot clinical trial using Vasceptor® (VAS-101) in individuals with sickle cell disease in Hollywood, Florida, USA. Patients are treated via topical and sublingual routes of administration.
- Town & Country Compounding PharmacycoreExclusive pharmacy partner for prescription fulfillment of Vascarta's topical/transdermal curcumin gel formulation. Located in Ramsey, New Jersey, licensed to ship prescription products across 22 U.S. states.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vascarta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global Blood Therapeutics (Pfizer): Acquired by Pfizer for $5.4B, GBT developed Oxbryta (voxelotor) for sickle cell disease — the same indication as Vascarta's VAS-101. GBT is the most directly comparable peer for Vascarta's sickle cell disease program and represents a realistic strategic acquirer profile.
- Emmaus Life Sciences: Small-cap commercial-stage company that developed Endari (L-glutamine), an FDA-approved therapy for sickle cell disease. Emmaus is highly comparable as a smaller company focused on sickle cell disease therapeutics and serves as a useful precedent for commercial-scale validation.
- BioDelivery Sciences International: Specialty pharmaceutical company focused on novel delivery approaches (e.g., buccal film technology) for pain and addiction. Comparable to Vascarta as a small specialty pharma using alternative drug delivery technologies to commercialize differentiated pain and CNS therapies.
- Noven Pharmaceuticals: Specialty pharmaceutical company wholly-owned by Hisamitsu, focused on transdermal drug delivery systems. Noven's expertise in patch-based delivery technology makes it a strong comparable for Vascarta's Vasporta™ transdermal platform approach.
Broad incumbents
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Vertex developed Casgevy (exa-cel), the first FDA-approved CRISPR gene therapy for sickle cell disease. While operating at much larger scale and with a different mechanism, Vertex is a key competitive and benchmark player in the sickle cell treatment space.
- Flexion Therapeutics (now Pacira BioSciences): Developed Zilretta (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release), an intra-articular therapy for knee osteoarthritis pain. Acquired by Pacira for ~$1B; represents a relevant precedent for successful exits in the OA pain space.
- Novartis: Developed Adakveo (crizanlizumab) for vaso-occlusive crisis prevention in sickle cell disease — the same patient population as VAS-101. As a global pharma incumbent in sickle cell, Novartis represents both a competitive threat and a potential strategic acquirer of late-stage sickle cell assets.
Emerging players
- Heron Therapeutics: Commercial-stage specialty pharma developing therapeutics for pain management and postoperative care. Comparable as a small specialty pharma targeting pain/inflammation markets with novel delivery approaches, though at a more advanced commercial stage.
- Cara Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharma developing novel peripherally acting kappa opioid receptor agonists for chronic pruritus and pain. Comparable to Vascarta as a small clinical-stage company developing differentiated therapies for pain and inflammation.
- Centrexion Therapeutics: Clinical-stage pharma focused on non-opioid, non-NSAID treatments for chronic pain conditions including osteoarthritis. Highly comparable target patient population and therapeutic positioning to Vascarta's VAS-101 OA program.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vascarta social profiles
Digital presenceVascarta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vascarta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Vascarta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vascarta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vascarta
What does Vascarta do?
Vascarta is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription transdermal curcumin-based treatments (lead candidate VAS-101 / Vasceptor®) for chronic inflammatory diseases, including sickle cell disease and knee osteoarthritis, using its proprietary Vasporta™ transdermal delivery platform. The company also holds an exclusive oncology licensing platform for CUNY-derived linker chemistry drug candidates (STO-1, STO-2) targeting cancers such as glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer.
Is Vascarta a public or private company?
Vascarta is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vascarta founded?
Vascarta was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vascarta based?
Vascarta is headquartered in Summit, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Vascarta's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global Blood Therapeutics (Pfizer), Emmaus Life Sciences, BioDelivery Sciences International and Noven Pharmaceuticals. Broad incumbents are Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Flexion Therapeutics (now Pacira BioSciences) and Novartis. Emerging players are Heron Therapeutics, Cara Therapeutics and Centrexion Therapeutics.
Does Vascarta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vascarta.
What industry is Vascarta in?
Vascarta's product category is Transdermal Pharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIAAAA, Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.