Dr. Shalabh Gupta is the founder and CEO of Unicycive Therapeutics, a company focused on innovation in kidney disease treatment. With a background in medicine and entrepreneurship, Dr. Gupta is leading efforts to develop therapies that address unmet needs in nephrology.
Patient Daily interviewed Dr. Gupta about his background, the founding of Unicycive, and the company's work.
Tell us about yourself. What’s your background, both personally and professionally?
Dr. Gupta: Born in Uttar Pradesh and raised in Kanpur, my early years were shaped by a strong curiosity and passion for science, nurtured by my father, a physician who demonstrated the impact of compassionate care on patients’ lives.
This instilled in me a desire to make a difference and a deep empathy for what others go through. Witnessing the disparities in healthcare quality based on location, coupled with limited access to advanced technologies, drove my ambition to move to the U.S. I earned my Master’s in Public Administration from NYU, focusing on Health Care Finance and Management, and completed my medical training at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
My career path took me to Wall Street, where I worked as an analyst and continued to practice medicine on weekends and holidays. These experiences led me to found Unicycive Therapeutics, where I focus on leveraging technology and innovation to develop therapies that significantly impact patients' lives.
Why did you start Unicycive?
Dr. Gupta: I started Unicycive to address the significant challenges in healthcare, particularly in developing innovative solutions that enhance patient care. My experience as a physician made me acutely aware of the gaps in the healthcare system, and I wanted to leverage my medical background to create impactful biotech solutions.
Unicycive focuses on using technology to improve healthcare outcomes, ultimately striving to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.
How is Unicycive uniquely positioned to make an impact in the nephrology space?
Dr. Gupta: Unicycive is uniquely positioned in nephrology due to its focus on developing innovative therapies that address significant unmet needs in kidney disease. The company aims to bring advanced treatment options to market, and its team combines extensive clinical expertise with experience in biotechnology.
The team’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology and research sets them apart, allowing them to create impactful solutions for patients suffering from kidney-related conditions.
How do you see Unicycive’s work impacting patient care and treatment in the future?
Dr. Gupta: Many patients struggle to take their pills as prescribed, leading to elevated phosphate levels and other health complications. By developing solutions that facilitate medication adherence, Unicycive aims to improve treatment outcomes and enhance the overall quality of care for patients with kidney diseases.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing patients with hyperphosphatemia?
Dr. Gupta: The biggest challenge facing patients with hyperphosphatemia is the feasibility of adhering to their prescribed medication regimens. Many patients struggle to take a large number of pills consistently, leading to poor management of their phosphate levels. This presents a significant opportunity for innovative solutions that simplify medication adherence, which can ultimately improve their health outcomes.
What will a meaningful advancement in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia look like?
Dr. Gupta: A meaningful advancement in treating hyperphosphatemia would involve developing therapies that provide a potent, palatable, and low-pill-burden alternative, making it easier for patients to adhere to their prescribed treatments. This could include innovative formulations that reduce pill burden or new delivery methods that enhance compliance. Ultimately, such advancements would lead to better management of phosphate levels, improving patients' overall health outcomes and quality of life.
Why is Unicycive’s first compound, oxylanthanum carbonate (OLC), an important advancement for patients and healthcare professionals?
Dr. Gupta: Unicycive’s first compound, OLC, is significant because it addresses the limited options available for treating hyperphosphatemia. Only a handful of approved drugs are currently on the market. OLC offers a new therapeutic approach, providing both patients and healthcare professionals with a viable option to manage phosphate levels more effectively. This advancement can help improve adherence to treatment regimens and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.
Why is Unicycive well poised to commercialize OLC and get it into the hands of nephrologists and their patients?
Dr. Gupta: I believe Unicycive is well poised to commercialize OLC because of my unique background and our core team’s background. My background combines extensive medical training with experience in finance and entrepreneurship. My team is experienced in bringing innovative therapies to market, specifically in this therapeutic area (nephrology) and, more specifically, in launching drugs in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia.
We continue to add more and more of our team members in our commercial team, and continue to build our “strong but mighty team” to successfully launch our product mid-next year upon approval by the FDA. This blend gives me a deep understanding of patient needs and market dynamics, allowing me to collaborate effectively with nephrologists. Our focus on innovative solutions in a space with limited alternatives, alongside a strong commitment to research and development, enhances our potential to successfully deliver OLC to healthcare providers and patients.
By providing a new option in a market with limited alternatives, Unicycive can significantly enhance patient care and outcomes.
If you could speak to all patients struggling to manage their hyperphosphatemia, what would you say?
Dr. Gupta: “Help is on the way, and we are bringing a new drug to you as soon as possible.”
How does Unicycive plan to partner with dialysis centers to help advance patient care and outcomes?
Dr. Gupta: At Unicycive, we believe that collaborating closely with dialysis centers is essential for advancing patient care and outcomes. By building strong relationships with these centers, we can better understand their needs and challenges, allowing us to tailor our solutions effectively.
Our goal is to partner with them not just to bring our therapies to market but also to enhance their overall patient management strategies. This ongoing collaboration will help us further strengthen our partnerships and optimize patient outcomes.
Learn more at unicycive.com.
