RS BioTherapeutics Announces Research Collaboration With University of Colorado School of Medicine

RS BioTherapeutics recently announced a collaboration agreement with the University of Colorado School of Medicine to evaluate use of its first-in-class, steroid-free therapeutic platform in the treatment of deadly lung diseases as well as a chemical countermeasure.

RS BioTherapeutics is collaborating specifically with the lab of Dr. Tom Hu, an Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and Associate Director for the Center for Advanced Drug Development, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The University of Colorado School of Medicine is home to numerous seminal discoveries in pulmonary and critical care medicine, including advances in tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease, airway disease, cancer, pulmonary vascular disease, and critical care.

Commenting on the collaboration, RS BioTherapeutics’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michelle L. Shuffett said “We are very pleased to have established this collaboration with Dr. Hu’s lab and the University of Colorado School of Medicine to evaluate RSBT-001, our first-in-class, steroid-free therapeutic platform for deadly lung diseases characterized by pulmonary inflammation and as a chemical countermeasure for terrorist activities. Dr. Hu’s academic credentials coupled with his extensive experience in both the private and government sectors, makes him the ideal partner to help evaluate these important use cases for RSBT-001.”

Dr. Tom Hu added “RSBT-001 is currently in development for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the world as well as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a rare disease with no cure and a 3-5 year survival rate. In addition, the anti-inflammatory properties of RSBT-001 demonstrated in preclinical trials underscore its potential to be an effective chemical countermeasure. I am very excited to collaborate with Dr. Shuffett and the rest of the RS BioTherapeutics team to evaluate and advance the development of RSBT-001.”

Dr. Hu joined the University of Colorado in 2023 after 14 years of federal services as a Project Officer in the Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures at the Biomedical Advancement Research and Development Authority (BARDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Dr. Hu received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, with an emphasis in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1996. Dr. Hu went on to earn his MS and PhD in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Following his doctoral work, Dr. Hu moved to the National Institutes of Health as an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellow. He subsequently went on to GlaxoSmithKline PLC as a Principal Scientist. During this period, he also completed an MBA at Villanova University. Dr. Hu then established the Small Animal Imaging Program at the Medical College of Georgia. During his most recent position as a Project Officer for the past 14+ years, Dr. Hu was responsible for oversight of technical progress for the Division of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures. He has managed more than 20+ company contracts for the Federal Government, developing medical countermeasures in the Chemical, Radiological/Nuclear, Biodosimetry, and Thermal Burn areas, where total contractual values total over $186+ million. Currently, he serves as an associate editor and ad hoc reviewer for more than 20 peer-reviewed journals, has published 29 peer-reviewed articles and made presentations at over 60 national and international conference presentations. Dr. Hu has 5 U.S. patents and has been certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Medical Physics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Physics.

The mission of RS BioTherapeutics is to develop life-changing medicines for the millions of people suffering from deadly lung diseases characterized by pulmonary inflammation. RS BioTherapeutics is developing a first-in-class, steroid-free, multi-targeted immune modulator (RSBT-001) with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) targeted as first indications. RS BioTherapeutics owns the exclusive, global license for RSBT-001 and is projecting filing an Investigational New Drug Application for RSBT-001 and initiating human trials in 2026. For more information, visit www.rsbiotherapeutics.com.