Bound Therapeutics

What Bound Therapeutics does

Bound Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 and headquartered at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Philadelphia, PA. The company develops RNA-based therapies for rare and refractory diseases, with a primary focus on oncology — specifically triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which accounts for approximately 20% of breast cancer cases and kills roughly half of patients within four years. Its core technology is the AI-Optimized RNA-Peptide Bioconjugation (AI-RPB) platform, powered by the proprietary Magic Bullet Designer (MBD) AI system, which performs de novo peptide ligand design and molecular dynamics simulation to enable single-molecule RNA therapeutics that enter cancer cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis without liposome or nanoparticle formulations. The lead compound, BND6482, is a microRNA-21 inhibitor that has demonstrated single-agent in vivo proof-of-concept efficacy and safety in an aggressive breast cancer mouse model.

The company operates with 1-10 employees, an LLC structure in Pennsylvania, and a layered IP base anchored by an exclusive license from Thomas Jefferson University (PCT/US2015/015681) plus three pending patent applications covering MYC mRNA inhibitors, cancer treatment broadly, and coronavirus infection. Its commercial strategy is not built on direct product sales but on a dual-track model: non-dilutive funding through federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR/STTR) grants to advance the lead asset from preclinical through Phase I safety trials, combined with an explicit acquisition-exit pathway targeting a pharmaceutical company with a broad breast cancer therapeutics portfolio. Secondary revenue mechanics include partnership-driven licensing and royalty arrangements across indications (lung, colon, prostate, brain cancers; cardiovascular disease; diabetes). Cumulative funding to date is $3.4 million, comprising a $300,000 NCI STTR grant awarded June 2019 and a first pre-seed financing round closed September 29, 2025; no commercial revenue is currently generated. The company is led by co-founders Crystal Jin (PhD, CEO) and Eric Wickstrom (PhD, CSO), supported by a COO, CTO, Chief Development & Manufacturing Officer, Chief Business Development Officer, and a recently appointed MD/PhD Chief Medical Officer, with scientific collaborators at Thomas Jefferson University and a manufacturing partnership with Bio-Synthesis, Inc.

Name

Bound Therapeutics

Legal name

Bound Therapeutics, LLC

Website

https://boundtherapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bound Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing AI-optimized RNA-peptide therapeutics for oncology, with its lead compound BND6482 targeting microRNA-21 in triple negative breast cancer. It plans to exit via acquisition by a breast cancer-focused pharmaceutical company after early-stage clinical development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RNA Cancer Therapeutics

NAICS

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

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

mRNA Therapeutics (vaccines, protein replacement, immuno-oncology) (HLAAADAA), Engineered Protein Therapeutics (de novo/AI-designed proteins, novel scaffolds) (HLAAAAAJ), Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC)

Keywords

• RNA-based therapeutics
• Cancer drug discovery
• AI drug design
• MicroRNA inhibitors
• Targeted drug delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Marlton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Commercialization via Acquisition: The company plans to exit through acquisition by a pharmaceutical firm with a broad breast cancer therapeutics portfolio to complete phase II/III trials and commercialize the lead compound within 10 years. Revenue will be generated through the acquisition deal value rather than direct product sales.
2. Partnership and Royalty Payments: Long-term revenue through joint ventures and royalty payments with pharmaceutical alliances for each therapeutic compound developed for lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes indications.
3. Non-dilutive Grant Funding: Federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants provide non-dilutive capital for early-stage development from proof-of-concept through lead optimization to phase I clinical safety trials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bound Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing RNA-based therapies for cancer and genetic disorders. Its proprietary Magic Bullet Designer (MBD) AI platform performs de novo peptide ligand design for tissue-targeted drug delivery, with lead candidate BND6482 being a microRNA-21 inhibitor for triple negative breast cancer. The company operates a research-driven model funded by federal grants and pre-seed capital, with planned exit through pharmaceutical licensing or acquisition.

Product overview

Bound Therapeutics operates as a biotechnology firm offering a unified platform approach centered on its proprietary Magic Bullet Designer (MBD) AI platform. The Magic Bullet Designer serves as the core enabling technology, using molecular dynamics and machine learning algorithms to perform de novo peptide ligand design for tissue-targeted drug delivery. The company's RNA Therapeutics Platform, powered by AI-Optimized RNA-Peptide Bioconjugation (AI-RPB) technology, enables the development of RNA-based therapies that precisely target and treat diseases at the genetic level. The lead compound BND6482, targeting microRNA-21, represents the first product candidate from this platform, with demonstrated efficacy in aggressive breast cancer models. The company is expanding its pipeline to include treatments for lung, colon, prostate, and brain cancers using the same core platform technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magic Bullet Designer (MBD): Proprietary AI-optimized nanocomplex platform for tissue-specific delivery of RNA therapeutics, utilizing advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to optimize drug design.

Products and services

• BND6482
• Magic Bullet Designer (MBD)
• RNA Therapeutics Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Demonstrated single agent in vivo proof-of-concept efficacy and safety in aggressive breast cancer mouse model with lead compound BND6482
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Thomas Jefferson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2019Research partnership with Dr. Eric Wickstrom, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, who developed the therapeutic approach for triple negative breast cancer. The university is a partner in the NCI STTR grant award.
• Bio-Synthesis, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2017Strategic alliance to jointly develop bridged nucleic acid (BNA)-based RNA therapeutics. Bio-Synthesis Inc. provides RNA analogs and peptide analogs that are described as extraordinarily specific and safe in mammalian models for treating triple negative breast cancer cells.
• Bio-Synthesis Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 30 October 2017Manufacturing partner providing drug manufacturing expertise for RNA and peptide analog production. Dr. Miguel Castro, President and CEO of Bio-Synthesis Inc., serves as a business advisor to Bound Therapeutics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boundtherapy
• Facebookfacebook.com/boundtherapeutics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boundtherapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bound Therapeutics