Sapu Bioscience
Sapu Bioscience is a privately held, clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotechnology company developing first-in-class antisense RNA therapeutics and nanoparticle-formulated small molecules against cancer and infectious diseases, with lead candidate OT-101 (anti-TGF-β2) and Sapu003 (IV Everolimus) advancing in pancreatic, melanoma, glioblastoma, and pediatric DIPG indications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sapu Bioscience does
Sapu Bioscience, LLC is a privately held, clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotechnology company founded in 2022 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company is dedicated to developing first-in-class RNA therapeutics and reformulated small molecule drugs against cancer and infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on rare pediatric oncology. Its lead candidate, OT-101 (also referenced as Trabedersen), is a first-in-class 18-mer phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting TGF-β2 mRNA, designed to lift tumor-mediated immune cloaking and enable innate and therapeutic anti-tumor immunity. OT-101 has completed Phase 2 trials in pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma and has received an FDA Rare Pediatric Disease designation for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG); the same molecule has also shown in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2, signaling anti-infective optionality.
Its second clinical program, Sapu003, is an intravenous formulation of Everolimus reformulated using the company's proprietary Deciparticle™ mPEG-cholesterol-based nanoparticle platform (5–15 nm size range), engineered to overcome the ~15–20% oral bioavailability of Everolimus and to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Preclinical U-87MG glioblastoma xenograft data demonstrated 97–98% tumor growth inhibition with weekly dosing and statistical superiority over oral Everolimus; the program entered a Phase 1b dose-escalation study (NCT07369505) in 2026 for advanced mTOR-sensitive solid tumors. The Deciparticle™ platform is positioned as a broader delivery technology with >96% recovery and >98% fill accuracy in GMP manufacturing, and the IP estate spans 100+ patent applications, including 39 issued US patents held by CEO Vuong Trieu.
Sapu Bioscience has no commercialized products and therefore no product revenue. Its go-to-market posture is consistent with a development-stage biotech: scientific conference presentations (BIO International, AACR-JCA, SNO, SITC), investor presentations, peer-reviewed co-authorship with joint venture partner Oncotelic Therapeutics, and SEC filings for transparency. The company operates a dedicated AI Division led by CBO/GM Saran Saund and is led by CEO Vuong Trieu (former CSO of Sorrento Therapeutics, President/CEO of Igdrasol), CFO Amit Shah, and CCO Translational Medicine Anthony Maida III, who collectively bring prior experience negotiating licensing transactions with Eli Lilly, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BMS, and academic centers. The company's primary future revenue mechanics would derive from out-licensing, partnership milestones, or eventual commercialization of OT-101 and Sapu003 across adult solid tumors, pediatric DIPG, and select infectious-disease indications.
Sapu Bioscience firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sapu Bioscience
- Legal name
- Sapu Bioscience, LLC
- Website
- https://sapubio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Sapu Bioscience is a privately held, clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotechnology company developing first-in-class antisense RNA therapeutics and nanoparticle-formulated small molecules against cancer and infectious diseases, with lead candidate OT-101 (anti-TGF-β2) and Sapu003 (IV Everolimus) advancing in pancreatic, melanoma, glioblastoma, and pediatric DIPG indications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sapu Bioscience industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Immuno-oncology therapeutics
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics) (HLAAADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC) (HLAAADAF)
Keywords
Where Sapu Bioscience is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sapu Bioscience business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Marketing channels7 records
Sapu Bioscience product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sapu Bioscience is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotechnology company developing first-in-class RNA therapeutics and small molecule drugs against cancer and infectious diseases. Its lead candidate OT-101 is an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting TGF-β2 with completed Phase 2 trials in pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma and FDA Rare Pediatric Disease designation for DIPG; its second program Sapu003 is an intravenous Everolimus formulation using the proprietary Deciparticle™ sub-15 nm nanoparticle platform, currently in Phase 1b (NCT07369505).
Product overview
Sapu Bioscience is an immuno-oncology company developing first-in-class RNA therapeutics and small molecule drugs against cancer and infectious diseases. The core products include OT-101, an antisense TGF-β2 therapeutic currently in Phase 2 for pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma, and Sapu003, an intravenous Everolimus nanomedicine utilizing the proprietary Deciparticle™ nanotechnology platform entering Phase 1b trials. Both products target cancer progression pathways with complementary mechanisms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Deciparticle™: Nanotechnology platform using mPEG-cholesterol-based nanoparticles for drug delivery, enabling sub-15 nm particle sizes for superior tumor penetration and reduced organ toxicity
- Sapu003
- OT-101
Products and services
- OT-101 (Trabedersen) OT-101 is a first-in-class anti-TGF-β2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) therapeutic — a synthetic 18-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (S-ODN) complementary to human TGF-β2 mRNA — for treatment of adult solid tumors (pancreatic carcinoma, malignant melanoma, colorectal carcinoma, high-grade glioma, prostate carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma) and pediatric DIPG, as well as activity against SARS-CoV-2. It works by lifting the TGF-β cloaking effect to enable immune system attack on cancers.
- Sapu003 (Intravenous Everolimus) Sapu003 is an intravenous Everolimus nanomedicine formulated using Sapu's proprietary Deciparticle™ mPEG-cholesterol-based sub-15 nm nanotechnology platform, developed to overcome the poor oral bioavailability (~15-20%) of standard Everolimus. It demonstrated 97-98% tumor growth inhibition in preclinical U-87MG glioblastoma xenograft models with weekly dosing and statistically significant superiority over oral Everolimus.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97-98% tumor growth inhibition in U-87MG glioblastoma xenograft models with weekly intravenous dosing of Sapu003
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sapu Bioscience
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sapu Bioscience technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sapu Bioscience partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Oncotelic TherapeuticscoreOncotelic Therapeutics is a joint venture partner with Sapu Bioscience. The two companies co-authored a landmark review article on sub-15nm nanoparticles for drug delivery published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on November 8, 2025. The collaboration supports Sapu's Deciparticle™ platform including Sapu-003, an intravenous everolimus nanomedicine preparing for first-in-human evaluation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sapu Bioscience competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wave Life Sciences: Wave Life Sciences is a clinical-stage RNA therapeutics company developing antisense oligonucleotides for genetic and neurological diseases. It is a direct peer to Sapu in the ASO/RNA therapeutics modality with comparable platform technology and clinical-stage positioning.
- Northwest Biotherapeutics: Northwest Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing dendritic cell-based cancer therapies. It is a direct peer to Sapu's cancer immunotherapy focus, and Dr. Maida's prior senior role there provides operational comparability.
- Mateon Therapeutics: Mateon Therapeutics (formerly Oncotelic) developed OT-101 before and shares lineage with Sapu's lead program. The historical relationship around the OT-101/Trabedersen asset makes Mateon a direct peer with overlapping intellectual property and clinical heritage.
- Scholar Rock: Scholar Rock is a clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics targeting TGF-β superfamily activation, including oncology and rare disease applications. It is a direct peer to Sapu in TGF-β pathway oncology and rare disease therapeutics.
- Oncotelic Therapeutics: Oncotelic is Sapu's joint venture partner, with shared programs, social media presence, and a collocated team led by Dr. Vuong Trieu. The two companies publish and co-develop together, making Oncotelic the closest commercial and operational peer to Sapu.
Broad incumbents
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Ionis is a leading antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) RNA therapeutics company with a broad pipeline across multiple disease areas. It is the broad incumbent in the ASO space where Sapu's OT-101 competes, validating the modality and providing a clear comparable for valuation and partnership benchmarks.
- Sarepta Therapeutics: Sarepta is a commercial-stage RNA therapeutics company specializing in antisense oligonucleotides for rare diseases. It is a broad incumbent in antisense RNA therapeutics, comparable to Sapu in modality and rare disease regulatory strategy.
Others
- Abraxis BioScience: Abraxis BioScience pioneered Abraxane (paclitaxel nanomedicine), and Dr. Trieu was previously Director of Pharmacology there. Sapu's Deciparticle™ nanomedicine platform follows the same nanomedicine approach, making Abraxis a thematically related enabling peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sapu Bioscience social profiles
Digital presenceSapu Bioscience financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sapu Bioscience leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Sapu Bioscience funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sapu Bioscience 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 Sapu Bioscience
What does Sapu Bioscience do?
Sapu Bioscience is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology biotechnology company developing first-in-class RNA therapeutics and small molecule drugs against cancer and infectious diseases. Its lead candidate OT-101 is an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting TGF-β2 with completed Phase 2 trials in pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma and FDA Rare Pediatric Disease designation for DIPG; its second program Sapu003 is an intravenous Everolimus formulation using the proprietary Deciparticle™ sub-15 nm nanoparticle platform, currently in Phase 1b (NCT07369505).
Is Sapu Bioscience a public or private company?
Sapu Bioscience is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sapu Bioscience founded?
Sapu Bioscience was founded in 2022.
Where is Sapu Bioscience based?
Sapu Bioscience is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Sapu Bioscience's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wave Life Sciences, Northwest Biotherapeutics, Mateon Therapeutics, Scholar Rock and Oncotelic Therapeutics. Broad incumbents are Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Sarepta Therapeutics. Abraxis BioScience is listed as an others.
Does Sapu Bioscience have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sapu Bioscience.
What industry is Sapu Bioscience in?
Sapu Bioscience's product category is Immuno-oncology therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAADAG, RNA Therapeutics Platforms & Design (sequence design, target ID/validation, AI/bioinformatics), with a secondary code of HLAAADAF, RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2834.