Ferrosa Therapeutics

Restoring red
blood cells in
chronic disease

We are developing next-generation biologics to address anemia of inflammation, an underserved condition affecting millions of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

Our Science View Pipeline

800M¹

Global prevalence

4M+²

High-priority patients

$35B+³

Addressable market

Our Mission

Addressing
anemia at its
inflammatory root

Anemia of inflammation is driven by a multisystem dysregulation involving chronic cytokine elevation and iron restriction, making patients resistant to existing therapies.⁴ This unmet need motivates our work.

Limitations of current treatment approaches

Current treatments — erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs) and intravenous (IV) iron — provide incomplete and potentially unsafe benefit for patients whose anemia is driven by inflammation rather than iron depletion.⁵ Many CKD patients with active inflammation show poor response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.

Dual-pathway innovation

Our lead program targets two clinically validated drivers of anemia of inflammation through a single bispecific antibody — designed to deliver synergistic, durable efficacy where monotherapies fall short.

Built for patients, designed for access

We are engineering a self-administered, long-acting biologic with a clean safety profile — enabling broad chronic use across CKD, cancer, and autoimmune indications.

The Science

Preclinical rationale for
a dual-pathway approach

The biology of anemia of inflammation

Chronic inflammation elevates hepcidin — the master regulator of iron — while simultaneously suppressing red blood cell production and shortening red blood cell lifespan.⁷ These effects are driven by interlocking inflammatory pathways that current therapies address only in isolation.

Two validated targets, one molecule

Our bispecific antibody is designed to engage two pathways simultaneously, with predicted additive or synergistic efficacy and an excellent tolerability profile.

Designed for chronic administration

Fc-engineered for extended half-life and ablated effector function, our lead candidate targets subcutaneous dosing every 3 months.

Program	Indication	Stage	Status
FRS-101 Bispecific antibody · Lead program	Anemia of Inflammation in CKD, Cancer, and Autoimmune Disease	Discovery	Active

Leadership & Advisors

Expertise at the
forefront of
biologic medicine

Board of Directors

Martin Stern

CEO & Co-Founder · Board Member

Hematologist and drug developer with extensive industry leadership. Former CMO at Numab Therapeutics and Affivant. Multiple clinical development roles at Roche pRED. Track record across multispecific biologics, preclinical and clinical development.

Sascha Oliver Bucher

Board Member & Co-Founder

Seasoned biotech executive and board member with deep experience in life science ventures. Brings strategic, governance, and financing expertise to Ferrosa's founding board.

Sara Nunez

Board Member & Co-Founder

Life science leader with a strong background in business development, corporate strategy, and translational medicine. Brings expertise in building and scaling early-stage biopharmaceutical companies and partnering experience.

Scientific Advisors

Beatrice Goilav, MD

Professor of Pediatric Nephrology
Albert Einstein College of Medicine · Montefiore Hospital

Leading clinician-scientist in pediatric nephrology. Research expertise spans chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and renal inflammation in children. Key opinion leader in CKD and iron-related anemia of inflammation.

Beatriz Goyenechea, PhD

Antibody Development Expert
Founder, StarBio

Accomplished antibody engineer with a distinguished track record across multiple successful programs and companies. Deep expertise in bispecific antibody design, hit-to-lead optimization, and developability.

Stefano Rivella, PhD

Professor, Division of Hematology
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

World-renowned expert in iron biology and erythropoiesis. Pioneer in hepcidin, BMP/SMAD signaling, and the mechanisms of anemia of inflammation. Foundational scientific contributions to the field that underpin Ferrosa's therapeutic rationale.

References

1 GBD 2021 Anemia Collaborators. Global, regional, and national prevalence of anaemia and its causes in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021. Lancet Haematol. 2023;10(9):e713–e734. Anemia of inflammation estimated to account for approximately one-third of global anemia burden.
2 High-priority patient estimate derived from US prevalence data: CKD anemia with evidence of active inflammation ~4 MM (37 MM US CKD patients; ~25% anemic; ~40–70% with elevated inflammatory markers); additional patients in cancer-associated and autoimmune anemia not counted. Steinbicker A, Muckenthaler M. Out of Balance — Systemic Iron Homeostasis in Iron-Related Disorders. Nutrients. 2013;5(8):3034–61.
3 Addressable market estimate based on combined ESA market ($13.4B global, 2024; ~4.3% CAGR), IV iron market ($3.3B, 2024; ~8.6% CAGR), and emerging HIF-PHI and anti-hepcidin pipeline classes. Sources: market reports cited in Ferrosa internal analysis; Aranesp 2024 sales: $1.34B; Mircera 2024 sales: CHF 397M.
4 De las Cuevas Allende R et al. Anemia of chronic disease: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Medicina Clínica. 2021;156(5):235–242.
5 ESA prescribing information (epoetin alfa, darbepoetin alfa) carries US FDA boxed warnings for increased risk of death, MI, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and tumor progression when targeting Hb >11 g/dL. ESA resistance is common in patients with active systemic inflammation. Akchurin OM, Kaskel F. Update on inflammation in chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int Rep. 2018;4(3):470–483.
7 Nemeth E, Ganz T. Hepcidin-ferroportin interaction controls systemic iron homeostasis. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(12):6493. Nemeth E, Ganz T. Anemia of inflammation. Annu Rev Med. 2023;74:261–277.

Restoring red
blood cells in
chronic disease

Addressing
anemia at its
inflammatory root