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University of Utah Startup Spinout Sethera Therapeutics is Unlocking Treatments for Previously 'Undruggable' Diseases, Advancing Patient Care.
Imagine a world where once “undruggable” diseases—like certain cancers and genetic disorders—can finally have a new treatment. Sethera Therapeutics is working to make this world a reality, addressing the unmet need for effective treatments in conditions that have previously had no therapeutic options.
Peptides are powerful small, flexible chains of amino acids with incredible potential to treat diseases. However, these molecules often need to fold into precise shapes to function properly, like a key fitting into a lock. The challenge? Peptides, which are essentially short proteins, are naturally unstable and break down quickly, limiting their effectiveness as drugs. Sethera Therapeutics has been able to bioengineer peptides to become highly stable through enzymatic modification, addressing their natural tendency to degrade quickly. This innovation has enabled several major advancements in peptide-based medicine:
1. Unlocking Treatments for "Undruggable" Diseases
Many diseases remain untreatable due to the lack of effective therapies. Today, some small molecule therapeutics cannot effectively interact with their molecular targets due to their limited surface area. However, peptides are larger than these small molecule therapeutics, and Sethera’s technology can expand the possibilities for treating conditions once considered undruggable.
Vahe Bandarian, co-founder and University of Utah associate dean, highlights this potential, stating, “The exciting thing about our technology is that it isn’t limited to a single disease—it has the potential to improve virtually any peptide-based therapeutic.”
2. Oral Medication and Longer Lasting Treatments
Peptide-based drugs like insulin have been around for over a century. Treatments like insulin and GLP-1 are life-saving drugs for people with diabetes or those managing weight loss. However, they often require daily or weekly injections due to the peptides breaking down in the digestive system before taking effect. By enhancing peptide stability, Sethera's innovation could offer longer-lasting treatments, reduce dosing frequency, and open the door for oral alternatives. This is a game-changer for patient adherence, improving both the quality of life and treatment outcomes for patients who currently struggle with the burden of frequent injections.
Karsten Eastman, Co-founder and CEO of Sethera, said, "Imagine taking your GLP-1 medication just once a month.”
Bandarian, expanded with "If the patient doesn't have to inject once a week, but maybe twice a month, compliance issues become much easier to manage."
Sethera’s breakthrough technology has the potential of revolutionizing treatment options for a wide range of conditions. Offering hope and new possibilities to patients who previously had limited to no treatment options.
The Minds Behind Sethera
Sethera Therapeutics was co-founded by Karsten Eastman and Vahe Bandarian, two experts in the field whose expertise and collaboration are driving a new era in peptide-based medicine.
Karsten Eastman, now serving as CEO, earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Utah, where he specialized in enzyme and peptide research under the mentorship of Vahe Bandarian. Bandarian is a distinguished faculty member at the University of Utah and Sethera’s Chief Science Officer (CSO).
From the start, Bandarian prioritized mentorship, ensuring that Eastman’s academic foundation remained strong while Sethera’s commercialization potential was explored. His guidance focused on science first, emphasizing the importance of completing Eastman’s dissertation and publishing research papers before delving into commercialization. “That way, no matter what happened with the company, he had options,” Bandarian explained.
Why Sethera’s Technology Matters
Sethera Therapeutics' work has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases that have long been considered untreatable. Their ability to stabilize peptides opens the door for a new era of therapeutics that can target a broader range of diseases more effectively, with fewer side effects. By making these treatments more stable and easier to administer, Sethera is not only addressing a major unmet need in healthcare but also improving patient adherence and outcomes. The broader impact of this technology could transform the future of medicine—making life-saving treatments more accessible, reducing healthcare costs, and offering patients a better quality of life.
The Future for Sethera
As for what is next for Sethera, Eastman wishes to partner with pharmaceuticals companies. He mentioned, “We have the technology, and we can generate massive libraries that are controllably hypermodified by enzymes. We want to know what are the interesting targets that they want to hit.”
By partnering with industry leaders, Sethera hopes to bridge the gap between cutting-edge peptide discovery and real-world therapeutic applications. This collaborative approach can ensure Sethera’s technology reaches the front lines of healthcare, treating conditions once deemed untreatable and improving patient care.
Sethera’s rapid growth has been fueled by key milestones, including a recent $3 million funding round and the addition of great new hires as well as biotech pioneer Dr. Robert Langer—co-founder of Moderna—as chair of their scientific advisory board. With these key milestones, the company is well positioned for even greater breakthroughs.
Eastman explains the next strategic milestones:
- Further develop the screening technology to enhance efficiency, accuracy and hit identification.
- Enzymatically modify on-the-market peptide therapeutics to further stabilize them and improve their half-life.
- Collaborate with large pharmaceutical companies to develop new therapeutics for targets of interest.
Collaboration with The U of U
Sethera’s success has been fueled by collaboration. For example, Eastman highlighted how the University of Utah's Chemistry Department helped facilitate their research by providing lab space through a contract agreement. This has not only supported their scientific progress but has also kept them connected to the University’s broader innovation ecosystem.
Eastman credits the Technology and Licensing Office (TLO) and Utah Venture Hub for playing a critical role in transforming their academic discovery into a thriving startup.
As he explained, “The TLO was instrumental in ensuring that from the initial disclosure to the internationalization of the patent, it all went as smoothly as possible.” Following this, Jim Hotaling, head of the Utah Venture Hub, helped Sethera take its next steps by making key introductions that supported their early growth.
Advice for Innovators
When asked about Sethera’s journey, Eastman offers advice for fellow researchers and startups. He emphasized the value of experimentation, stating, “It's okay to do things you think might not work just to see the result.” He shared that he pursued a project despite doubts, which ultimately led to Sethera’s breakthrough. He also encouraged questioning research publications, suggesting that trying a slightly different approach can yield unexpectedly successful results.
As for startups, Eastman advised, “Try to do as much as you can before the company starts.” He stressed the importance of building a strong foundation, explaining that while he’s no longer in the lab daily, the groundwork he laid early on has allowed Sethera to progress rapidly.
With partnerships forming and their technology rapidly advancing, Sethera is turning what once seemed impossible into reality!
This April, the University of Utah’s Technology Licensing Office (TLO) hosted its latest Tech Tuesday event, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to showcase the strength of Utah’s medical device and life science sectors. 
The event featured three main speakers: Kelvin Cullimore, CEO of BioUtah, Bruce Gale, Director of the Center of Excellence for Biomedical Microfluidics and Mark Paul, Director of the Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Utah.
Together, they shared practical advice for startups and offered a dynamic view of how the University of Utah is helping shape the future of innovation both statewide and beyond.
What Makes Utah Unique?
Kelvin Cullimore emphasized that Utah’s medical device industry is no longer up-and-coming, it’s here and thriving.
“We are the eighth-largest manufacturer of medical devices in the country,” Cullimore shared. “In fact, the life science industry here is growing at a rate of about 5.1%.” While that number might seem modest at first glance, Cullimore noted that only two other states, Arizona and Massachusetts, are growing faster.
Cullimore stressed that major companies like Edwards Lifesciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Cytiva have invested in Utah not by chance, but because of the region’s deep pool of talent and innovation.
Through continued collaboration and a strong focus on applied research, Utah’s life sciences sector is making a significant impact, expanding the state’s role in global healthcare and delivering meaningful advances for patients around the world.
Advice for Entrepreneurs and Startups
Navigating the path from research to commercialization presents significant challenges, and speakers offered valuable advice for innovators just starting their journey.
Frist, Cullimore advised taking a more dynamic approach rather than a purely linear approach to bringing a product to market. By taking a step-by-step approach you could run into barriers never anticipated before. His advice, “begin with the end in mind. Know what you are going to do with your product, know what market you're going to serve, and know how you're going to go about it.”
Startups and entrepreneurs should start thinking about regulatory pathways, reimbursement strategies, and customer adoption earlier on. Without a clear roadmap, even the best ideas can stall before reaching the market. His recommendation was to ask around campus for expertise. “You might be surprised at what you find,” he said, encouraging innovators to tap into the vast network of research and knowledge already available at the University of Utah.
The second piece of advice came from Paul, who emphasized the value of gaining real-world experience early on. He recommended that it can be great for students and early-career professionals to work for a medical device or life science company for a few years to learn best practices across R&D, marketing, and regulatory fields before launching their own ventures.
Paul also shared his “Big 5” questions that every entrepreneur should answer before bringing a product to market:
- Are there truly patients in need?
- How many people are affected, and how are they currently treated?
- What is your technology?
- What is the real market?
- Who would be willing to pay for it?
Paul explained, by answering these key questions early on, you work towards de-risking your device, helping to open doors towards more funding opportunities. This creates a cycle that can help drive progress toward commercialization. At the University of Utah, several programs and centers support this ascending of funding starting from microgrants to the Ascender grant, and to other funding opportunities like the Utah Innovation Fund and eventually University of Utah Ventures.
Finally, Bruce Gale offered insights drawn from his own entrepreneurial experience. He emphasized the critical importance of early market analysis, stressing that understanding the real needs of end users should happen long before the engineering work is finalized.
Gale shared that the Technology Licensing Office (TLO) helped him navigate licensing, paperwork, and early steps toward commercialization. With one of the most valuable lessons learned was engaging directly with doctors and clinicians to ensure the right product was being developed.
Stay Connected with Utah’s Innovation Ecosystem
As research becomes increasingly outcome-driven, focusing on the generation of new technologies and launching companies strengthens Utah’s economy and society.
Tech Tuesday is the Technology Licensing Office’s (TLO) signature networking series, bringing together innovators, investigators, industry leaders, and campus partners to spark collaboration and share expertise. Each event offers the chance to hear from experienced voices, ask important questions, and stay connected to Utah’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem.
To stay involved and take full advantage of these opportunities, keep an eye out for future Tech Tuesday events, and join a community that’s shaping the future of innovation.
University of Utah Spinout Bioparin Secures STTR Funding to Scale Synthetic Heparin Production—Ensuring Future Stability of Critical Blood Thinner Beyond Fragile Animal Supply.
Imagine you or a loved one preparing for a life-saving surgery—only to find out that a critical drug needed for the procedure is suddenly unavailable due to supply chain disruptions. What would you do?
This scenario isn’t just hypothetical. Heparin, an essential anticoagulant used in over 12 million patients in medical procedures annually, is currently facing a fragile supply chain, reliant on pig intestines. With the threat of disease outbreaks like African swine flu, the need for a more stable, synthetic alternative has never been more urgent.
Bioparin, a University of Utah spinout, just received a $306,000 Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant, a federal funding program that supports small businesses collaborating with research institutions to bring innovative technologies to market, to advance its groundbreaking work in synthetic heparin production. This funding is a major step in addressing the vulnerabilities of the current animal-based supply chain and ensuring continuous and safe access to this life-saving drug.
The Minds Behind Bioparin
Ishan Capila, Co-founder and CEO of Bioparin, first worked on heparin while earning his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Iowa. He saw the potential for a safer, more reliable alternative to traditional heparin. Ishan and Kuby met at the University of Iowa, and both went on to work at MIT.
Kuby Balagurunathan
, Co-founder and professor at the University of Utah School of Pharmacy is an expert in heparin biosynthesis. He spent decades researching how heparin is naturally synthesized and how a synthetic alternative could be created. His work in enzymatic synthesis dates back to his time as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, where he developed a deep understanding of heparin biosynthesis.
Balagurunathan explained, “This journey started as an academic challenge more than 20 years ago. But now, with advancements in biotechnology, we finally have the tools to bring a synthetic heparin solution to the market.”
As Balagurunathan put it, “Just as MIT’s innovations helped land Apollo on the moon, we now have the technology to bring this breakthrough drug to patients.”
The Critical Need for Synthetic Heparin
Heparin is one of the most widely used injectable anticoagulants in the U.S. essential for surgeries, stroke treatments, dialysis, and other critical medical procedures. According to a research article published in the National Library of Medicine, one-third of all hospitalized patients in the U.S.—or approximately 12 million people annually—receive heparin.
The problem? The Global supply of heparin is entirely dependent on pig intestines, making it vulnerable to disease outbreaks, contamination risks, and market fluctuation. In 2007, a heparin contamination crisis occurred when a fake ingredient, oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS), was deliberately added to heparin. This counterfeit substance looked like heparin but caused severe allergic reactions, low blood pressure, and even deaths.
The heparin contamination crisis highlighted the risks of an unregulated, animal-derived supply chain. This crisis shows how urgent the need for a controlled, synthetic alternative is to ensure drug safety, consistency, and availability.
As Capila noted, “Our next heparin crisis is just one African swine flu outbreak away.”
Bioparin’s Solution: A Reliable, Scalable Alternative
Bioparin aims to eliminate reliance on animal-sourced heparin by developing a synthetic variant that offers greater safety, consistency, and availability. By leveraging bioreactor technology, their innovation ensures a controlled production process, preventing critical shortages and reducing costs for healthcare providers and patients.
The STTR grant will support large-scale heparin biomanufacturing, a challenge that has yet to be tackled. Balagurunathan explained, “No one has produced synthetic heparin at the industrial scale. We have the academic knowledge, but now we need to scale up.”
Collaboration with the U of U
Bioparin’s success is fueled by collaboration. The Technology Licensing Office (TLO) played a crucial role in helping the founders navigate commercialization — which is the process of turning research and innovations into products or services that can be sold or used in the market — while securing funding and connecting with industry partners.
Balagurunathan acknowledged the university’s impact: “Without the University of Utah and its support structure, we wouldn’t be here today.”
The University’s market discovery programs, including participation in the National Science Foundation I-Corps program encouraged Balagurunathan to engage with clinicians and pharmacists, providing real-world insights into the demand for synthetic heparin.
Balagurunathan said, “The Technology Licensing Office played a crucial role by encouraging us to engage directly with the clinicians and pharmacists who use heparin daily. These conversations provided invaluable insights into the real-world challenges and reinforced the importance of developing a synthetic alternative.”
While the STTR grant is a significant milestone, the road ahead remains challenging.
Capila emphasized the complexity, “Bringing a drug to market takes a village in some ways”.
Advice for Future Innovators
For those looking to bring new medical solutions to market, Capila’s advice is simple: passion and persistence.
Capila emphasized “You’re going to face obstacles, but you have to push through them, so keep at it.”
Balagurunathan added, “besides passion and persistence, partnerships are also key”.
Strong partnerships can make all the difference. Kuby and Ishan’s partnership—combining a strong scientific background with deep industry expertise, played a key role in launching the company. Their collaboration helped them overcome challenges, secure essential resources, and accelerate development, proving that success is built on the three P’s: passion, persistence, and partnership.
The Future of Heparin
With Bioparin’s innovative approach and the support of the STTR grant, the future of anticoagulation therapy is set to become safer, more reliable, and free from the limitations of animal-based supply chains. As the team moves toward commercialization, their work has the potential to transform global healthcare and ensure that life-saving treatments remain accessible to all.
Read more on the STTR Grant
Minimum heparin sequence that is responsible for anticoagulation. Critical functional groups essential for biological activity are shown in red, and those shown in blue are contributing groups.
