Science
Deliver a transformative medicine for untreated conditions with underactive bladder
Deliver a transformative medicine for untreated conditions with underactive bladder
- Underactive bladder (UAB) is characterized by a slow urinary stream, hesitancy and straining to void, with or without a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying sometimes with storage symptoms (*1)
- UAB is prevalent, underdiagnosed, and represents an unmet medical need in elderly and other populations. There are no outcome-validated effective therapeutics for UAB (*2)
SFG-02 is a novel investigational small molecule drug
- IND-enabling preclinical studies completed
- A novel formulation under development
- Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers to be initiated in 2025
(*1) Chapple CR, Osman NI, Birder L, et al. Terminology report from the International Continence Society (ICS) Working Group on Underactive Bladder (UAB). Neurourology and Urodynamics. 2018;1–4.
(*2) Chancellor MB, Bartolone SN, Lamb LE et al., Underactive Bladder; Review of Progress and Impact From the International CURE-UAB Initiative. Int Neurourol J. 2020; 24: 3–11.
Team
Hiroshi Nagabukuro, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Akira Tanaka, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Akira Tanaka is a SFG’s co-founder, serves as Chief Scientific Officer and a board director. Before the inception of SFG, Dr. Tanaka was the Vice President of Clinical Science at ARTham Therapeutics where he led the clinical development, conducted Phase I and Phase II studies for two products, and contributed to obtaining a POC for one of them. Prior to ARTham, he worked in preclinical drug discovery research as a pharmacologist at Takeda and thereafter in clinical development as a clinical scientist in gastrointestinal therapeutic area at Takeda Boston site. He received his PhD from the University of Tsukuba.
Masako "Mako" Nakano, MD, PhD
Medical Director
Dr. Masako “Mako” Nakano is the Medical Director of SFG SCIENCES Inc. She is a clinical pharmacology physician and drug developer with more than 25 years of experience, and has contributed to the development of many drugs such as varenicline/Chantix®/Champix®, AIR® insulin, dulaglutide/Trulicity®, florbetapir(18F)/Amyvid®, and donanemab/Kisunla® at Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly and Company, and Novartis Pharma K.K. She expanded the opportunities for the Japan development organizations to contribute to patients not just in Japan but around the world. She appreciates the excellent early phase clinical development capabilities in Japan, and brought FIH (first-in-human) studies of international pharmaceutical companies to Japan for the first time. She has many unique ideas, and also conducted a pilot home-visit care clinical trial in Japan. Mako is an MD and PhD in medical sciences (from Hamamatsu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences) specializing in clinical pharmacology and early phase clinical development. Since 2009, she has been enjoying lecturing at Osaka University’s PharmaTrain Training/PRP Course (formerly MEI Professional Course).
Hiroshi Nagabukuro, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Akira Tanaka, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Akira Tanaka is a SFG’s co-founder, serves as Chief Scientific Officer and a board director. Before the inception of SFG, Dr. Tanaka was the Vice President of Clinical Science at ARTham Therapeutics where he led the clinical development, conducted Phase I and Phase II studies for two products, and contributed to obtaining a POC for one of them. Prior to ARTham, he worked in preclinical drug discovery research as a pharmacologist at Takeda and thereafter in clinical development as a clinical scientist in gastrointestinal therapeutic area at Takeda Boston site. He received his PhD from the University of Tsukuba.
Hiroyuki Misawa
Board Member
Masaki Yoshida, MD, PhD
Department of Urology
Sakurajyuji Hospital
Naoki Yoshimura, MD, PhD
Department of Urology
University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine
Takahiko Mitsui, MD, PhD
Professor of Urology, University of Yamanashi
Yoshihisa Matsukawa, MD, PhD
Department of Urology, Nagoya University
Michael B. Chancellor, MD
Professor, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Detlef Albrecht, MD
Independent Drug Development Consultant
Roger Dmochowski, MD, MA, MMHC, FACS, FRCS (TH)
Professor of Urology, Surgery and Gynecology,
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
Victor W. Nitti, MD
Professor of Urology and Ob/Gyn
Shlomo Raz Chair in Urology
Administrative Chief, Division of URPS
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Gamal M. Ghoniem, MD, FACS, ABU/URPS
Professor Emeritus & Vice Chair of Urology
Fellowship Program Director of Female Urology,
Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery & Voiding Dysfunction
Kathleen C. Kobashi, MD, MBA, FACS
Chair, Department of Urology, Houston Methodist
Kenneth M. Peters, MD
Professor of Clinical Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Stephen R Kraus, MD, MBA, FACS
Professor and Chair of Urology, UT Health San Antonio
