# Cayuga Biotech

> Cayuga Biotech is a clinical-stage biotech developing first-in-class therapeutics that stop life-threatening bleeding by accelerating the body's own clotting cascade. Its lead candidate, CAY001, is a synthetic polyphosphate-silica nanoparticle (polyP-SNP) designed to work where conventional hemostatic agents fall short - non-compressible hemorrhage from trauma, surgery, blood thinners and inherited bleeding disorders. Founded on research from UC Santa Barbara, the company harnesses polyphosphate, a natural cofactor stored in platelets, to normalize thrombin production and speed clot formation without slowing clot breakdown.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** New York, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Damien Kudela (Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer), Kyle Ploense (Co-Founder, Preclinical Research)
- **Team size:** ~11 employees
- **Products:** CAY001, CAY002, Polyphosphate (polyP) platform
- **Notable:** Raised $8M seed round led by Wharton Alumni Angels, Awarded $3M non-dilutive funding from the Defense Health Agency via MTEC, Won Best Oral Presentation - Plasma, Hemostasis and Transfusion Medicine at the 19th International Symposium on Blood Substitutes

## Products & services

- **CAY001** — Lead candidate: a first-in-class synthetic polyphosphate-silica nanoparticle (polyP-SNP) complex that accelerates the natural clotting cascade for life-threatening, non-compressible hemorrhage. Advancing toward Phase 1 clinical studies.
- **CAY002** — Discovery-stage program targeting inherited bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and other rare coagulation deficiencies.
- **Polyphosphate (polyP) platform** — Underlying platform leveraging polyphosphate - a natural cofactor stored in platelets - to normalize thrombin production and accelerate clot formation, localizing to bleeding sites while remaining inert elsewhere.

## Achievements

- Raised $8M seed round led by Wharton Alumni Angels
- Awarded $3M non-dilutive funding from the Defense Health Agency via MTEC
- Won Best Oral Presentation - Plasma, Hemostasis and Transfusion Medicine at the 19th International Symposium on Blood Substitutes
- Translated UC Santa Barbara PhD research into a first-in-class clinical candidate (CAY001)
- Assembled a leadership team including the inventor of ANDEXXA and the developer behind RETHYMIC BLA approval

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Announced $8M seed financing plus a $3M Defense Health Agency award to advance CAY001 toward clinical studies.
- **2026** — Targeting early human proof-of-concept data for CAY001 in 2026; progressing toward Phase 1.
- **2022-03** — Appointed Andrea Ashford-Hicks as Chief Executive Officer.

## Links

- Website: https://cayugabiotech.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cayuga-biotech
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cayugabiotech2523

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/cayuga-biotech
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-06