DUB Therapeutics
DUB Therapeutics develops self-delivering siRNA (sdRNA) therapeutics that target tissue scarring at its source, starting with ocular surface diseases. Its lead candidate, DUB-001, is formulated as a room-temperature-stable liquid droplet requiring only a single topical dose lasting over 90 days, eliminating the need for injections or frequent dosing.
- Biotechnology
- Drug Discovery & Therapeutics
- Healthcare Technology
Funding
Founders
Product
Problem
Fibrotic diseases, including ocular surface scarring, are a leading cause of vision impairment worldwide, yet current treatments rely on frequent steroid dosing, expensive nerve growth factor therapies, or invasive transplants. These options are often inaccessible, poorly tolerated, or fail to address the underlying scarring process, leaving millions of patients with progressive vision loss and limited therapeutic options.
Solution
DUB Therapeutics is developing a proprietary self-delivering siRNA (sdRNA) platform that targets fibrosis-causing pathways directly at the cellular level. Unlike conventional siRNA therapies that require viral vectors or lipid nanoparticles, sdRNA molecules penetrate cells autonomously, enabling non-invasive topical administration as liquid eye drops. The lead program, DUB-001, is designed as a single-dose treatment that maintains therapeutic effect for more than 90 days in vivo, dramatically reducing dosing frequency compared to standard-of-care options requiring six or more daily applications. The platform is also being expanded beyond ophthalmology to address fibrotic conditions in dermatology and systemic indications, with clinical trials planned to begin in 2027.
Target Audience
Primary customers are ophthalmology clinics and healthcare providers treating patients with ocular surface diseases and corneal scarring, with future expansion into dermatology and systemic fibrosis markets.
Features
- Self-delivering siRNA technology that penetrates cells without AAV vectors or lipid nanoparticles, enabling topical liquid droplet formulation
- Single-dose administration with pharmaceutical benefit sustained for over 90 days in vivo, compared to 6+ daily doses required by current therapies
- Room-temperature stable formulation for over 360 days, eliminating cold-chain storage requirements
- Targets novel enzyme pathways that control protein degradation and influence wound healing stages to promote tissue regeneration
- Pipeline includes multiple programs across ophthalmology, dermatology, and systemic fibrosis indications
- Lead candidate DUB-001 has completed GLP manufacturing and FDA INTERACT meeting, with Phase 1 enrollment planned for 2027