Therabiopharma

What Therabiopharma does

Therabiopharma Inc. is a Japanese bio-venture originating from Kyoto University, operating from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, with a dual focus on functional food materials and pharmaceutical drug development. The company's commercial core is curcuRouge®, an ultra-high absorption curcumin supplement built on a proprietary amorphous formulation technology that disrupts curcumin's crystalline structure and achieves 162.7x higher relative bioavailability per mg curcumin compared to standard extracts — the highest among commercially available absorption-enhanced formulations per a 2025 systematic review in Functional Food Science. The product is sold directly to consumers through the company's e-commerce storefront (curcurouge.shop) with both one-time purchase bundles (1 to 8 bottles, ¥7,560 per bottle down to ¥5,443 per bottle at the largest tier) and a subscription program launched in August 2024.

The company serves health-conscious consumers, knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence Grade I–III) patients, asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients, and elderly (60+) consumers seeking immune and anti-inflammatory support, with peer-reviewed evidence in each indication. Marketing relies on scientific/educational content, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at venues such as the 144th Annual Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan (March 2024) and Kyoto University Life Science Showcase (2020), rather than broad consumer advertising.

The drug development arm advances TBP1901, a prodrug-type anticancer candidate targeting multiple myeloma via the KRAS-NF-κB pathway, supported by AMED's "Research Project for Practical Application of Innovative Cancer Therapy" (FY2025) under the scientific leadership of Professor Masashi Kanai (Kansai Medical University). Core manufacturing IP is protected by patents in Japan and six other countries. The company is private, founder-led (CEO Tadashi Hashimoto), and structured as a Kabushiki Kaisha with 11–50 employees, generating revenue today from curcuRouge® sales with potential future licensing income from the TBP1901 program.

Name

Therabiopharma

Legal name

Therabiopharma Inc.

Website

https://therabio.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Therabiopharma Inc. is a Japanese bio-venture that develops and sells curcuRouge®, an ultra-high absorption curcumin supplement, and is advancing TBP1901, a prodrug anticancer drug candidate. It sells directly to consumers online and via subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dietary Supplements (Functional Foods)

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Probiotics & Digestive Health Supplements (CRADAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Primary Care & General Medicine Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Curcumin supplements
• Drug development
• Functional food materials
• Bioavailability enhancement
• Natural product research

Headquarters

HQ city

Takatsu-ku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. curcuRouge® Product Sales: Revenue is generated through direct sales of curcuRouge®, an ultra-high absorption curcumin supplement. Products are sold in various bundle configurations (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 bottle sets) with tiered pricing that increases discount percentage with larger bundles. A subscription model is also offered for recurring purchases.
2. Drug Development (TBP1901): Therabiopharma is developing TBP1901, a prodrug-type anticancer drug candidate, through non-clinical studies funded partially by AMED (Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development). This represents potential future revenue through out-licensing or partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Therabiopharma develops and commercializes curcuRouge®, an ultra-high absorption curcumin dietary supplement built on proprietary amorphous formulation technology, sold direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site and subscription service. The company also operates a drug development pipeline, most notably TBP1901, a prodrug-type anticancer candidate for multiple myeloma, supported by AMED-funded preclinical research in collaboration with Kyoto University and Kansai Medical University.

Product overview

Therabiopharma is a Kyoto University bio-venture focused on two main areas: drug development and functional materials/foods. The core commercial product is curcuRouge®, an ultra-high absorption curcumin supplement launched in September 2020, available in various package sizes (1-8 bottles) with subscription options. In the drug development pipeline, TBP1901 is a prodrug-type anticancer drug candidate for multiple myeloma selected for AMED's 2025 cancer therapy research program. The company also developed water-soluble curcumin monoglucuronide (CMG) as a research compound with anticancer properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• curcuRouge®: Ultra-high absorption curcumin formulation product launched in September 2020. Contains 90mg curcumin per capsule, 62 capsules per package.

Products and services

• curcuRouge® Capsules Ultra-high absorption curcumin dietary supplement in capsule form, developed using proprietary amorphous technology that improves bioavailability 162.7x over standard extracts. Sold direct-to-consumer in bundle configurations (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 bottle sets) with tiered volume discounts.
• curcuRouge® Subscription Service Recurring delivery subscription service for curcuRouge® products offering flexible delivery cadence (1 bottle/month, 3 bottles/3 months, 5 bottles/5 months) for regular users.
• TBP1901 (Anticancer Drug Candidate) Prodrug-type anticancer drug candidate targeting multiple myeloma, developed to overcome drug resistance and treatment side effects. Currently in preclinical stage with research selected for AMED's Research Project for Practical Application of Innovative Cancer Therapy for fiscal year 2025. Intended for future out-licensing or partnership.
• Water-soluble Curcumin Monoglucuronide (CMG) Water-soluble prodrug form of curcumin with anticancer properties, targeting the KRAS-NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Currently positioned as a research compound under development as a novel anticancer prodrug.

Quantifiable outcome

• 162.7-fold increase in bioavailability per mg curcumin vs standard extracts (AUC0-t: 17.23 ng/mL·h, Cmax: 5.47 ng/mL)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)coreOthers · 1 January 2025Therabiopharma's TBP1901 cancer drug research has been selected for AMED's 'Research Project for Practical Application of Innovative Cancer Therapy' for fiscal year 2025 (Field 3-1). AMED acts as project sponsor for preclinical research on TBP1901 for multiple myeloma, aiming to complete preparations for clinical trials and out-licensing.
• Kyoto Research Park (KRP)minorOthers · 19 July 2023Joint seminar with Kyoto University and Kyoto Research Park titled 'Exploring Kyoto University Innovations @ Kento' featuring Therabiopharma's prodrug-type curcumin formulation (TBP1901) and high-absorption curcumin food ingredient (curcuRouge).
• Kanagawa Science Park (KSP)minorOthers · 14 August 2017Therabiopharma's research base is located in the Innovation Center East 604 inside the Kanagawa Science Park, providing laboratory facilities and an innovation ecosystem.
• Kyoto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTherabiopharma was founded as a Kyoto University bio-venture (京都大学発のバイオベンチャー). The company collaborates with Kyoto University researchers including Professor Hideaki Kakeya (Science and Technology Advisor) from the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The partnership has produced multiple joint research projects on curcumin formulations and prodrug development.
• Kansai Medical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Masashi Kanai from Kansai Medical University serves as Scientific Advisor to Therabiopharma and leads the AMED-funded research project on TBP1901, a prodrug-type anticancer drug for multiple myeloma.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NOW Foods: Major supplement brand selling its own curcumin SKUs across multiple channels. Competes with curcuRouge® for end-consumer spending in the broader curcumin supplement category at retail and DTC.
• Kemin Industries: Diversified ingredient manufacturer with curcumin offerings across nutritional and food categories. Comparable supplement ingredient supplier operating at a much larger, broader portfolio scale.
• Thorne: Premium supplement brand with a differentiated curcumin offering. Comparable DTC premium positioning and clinical-evidence-led marketing approach, operating at greater scale with broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Indena S.p.A. Italian developer of Meriva curcumin and other plant-derived pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. Comparable botanical curcumin expertise with overlap in pharmaceutical-grade formulation and supplement markets.
• Sabinsa Corporation: Major supplier of multiple branded curcumin extracts (e.g., Curcumin C3 Complex) and other botanical ingredients. Direct competitor with a broader portfolio and substantially larger scale than Therabiopharma.
• OmniActive Health Technologies: Producer of CurcuWIN and other enhanced curcumin ingredients. Mirrors Therabiopharma's technology-driven differentiation and B2B/B2C curcumin positioning with comparable customer segments in the supplement industry.
• Gencor: Ingredient company behind CurQfen curcumin. Operates in the same absorption-enhanced curcumin ingredient space with comparable B2B ingredient-to-brand commercial motion.
• Arjuna Natural Ltd: Developer of BCM-95, a leading enhanced-bioavailability curcumin ingredient. Directly comparable to curcuRouge® as both compete for the same absorption-enhanced curcumin positioning across supplement brand customers globally.
• Verdure Sciences: Maker of Longvida, an enhanced-bioavailability curcumin ingredient. Closely comparable differentiated curcumin technology competing against curcuRouge® in ingredient supply and finished supplement channels.

Emerging players

• DolCas Biotech: Specialty curcumin/CGM and botanical ingredient company. Comparable niche focus with both supplement and pharmaceutical-grade curcumin activities, paralleling Therabiopharma's supplement + oncology dual track.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Therabiopharma