Significant Progress in Cancer Treatment Under the Leadership of Prof. Dr. Rana Sanyal
Developed under the leadership of Boğaziçi University academician Prof. Dr. Rana Sanyal, with early-stage research conducted in Boğaziçi University laboratories, entering the clinical phase
The Phase 1 clinical trial of Turkey's first original drug candidate RS-0139, developed under the leadership of Boğaziçi University academician Prof. Dr. Rana Sanyal, whose early-stage research was carried out in Boğaziçi University laboratories and advanced to the clinical stage, has been successfully completed. This development, which has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, demonstrates a strong R&D success born from academia-technopark-industry collaboration.
Following basic science and preclinical research conducted within Boğaziçi University, RS-0139, which has entered the clinical stage, has crossed a significant scientific threshold as the first original drug candidate in Turkey to reach from discovery to clinic. The project is being carried out by RS Research, an R&D company operating within Boğaziçi Teknopark, and this success has become a concrete indicator of knowledge born within the university ecosystem transforming into high value-added technology.
A Success Story From Academia to Clinic
Preclinical research for the study, conducted under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Rana Sanyal, was carried out using Boğaziçi University's laboratory infrastructure and with the contributions of the Target Therapy Technologies Center teams. The production of the drug took place in the GMP-certified infrastructure established by RS Research in Teknopark Istanbul in collaboration with the Istanbul Health Industry Cluster. The successful completion of the subsequent Phase 1 clinical trial is also considered a critical turning point for the clinical validation of the developed drug delivery platform technology.
This development points not only to the further phase studies of RS-0139 but also to the clinical potential of other drug candidates developed on the same platform technology. Thus, a period is entered in which the capacity for developing original molecules and clinical validation in the field of biotechnology in Turkey is strengthened.
The Power of the Boğaziçi Ecosystem
This success stands out as a significant output of the combination of Boğaziçi University's academic accumulation and Boğaziçi Teknopark's R&D-oriented innovation environment. The advancement of scientific research, which began in university laboratories, to the clinical stage by an R&D company within Boğaziçi Teknopark creates a critical model for the sustainability of deep technology production in Turkey.
Prof. Dr. Rana Sanyal, a faculty member of Boğaziçi University's Chemistry Department and the project lead, drew attention to the broad ecosystem that contributed to the process, emphasizing that this success is a result of Turkey's vision to develop its own original drug. Sanyal said, "We thank our Boğaziçi University laboratory teams, who meticulously conducted our preclinical research, our investors who believed in us, and all stakeholders who contributed to this process."
