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An Entrepreneurial Approach to Cancer Treatment

Woman (Rukiyah Van Dross-Anderson) smiles at the camera

Dr. Rukiyah Van Dross-Anderson has followed a career path from academia to entrepreneurship that has been defined by a passion for research and a commitment to finding novel solutions for treating cancer. Now, through her company Claradele Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Van Dross-Anderson is working to develop an effective and nontoxic drug as an alternative therapeutic regimen for melanoma patients for whom traditional treatments are not effective. Dr. Van Dross-Anderson's efforts directly align with the National Cancer Plan, particularly the goal to develop effective treatments for cancer. 

Dr. Van Dross-Anderson's story begins with a deep-rooted love for research cultivated during her undergraduate years at Alabama State University. She participated in programs that promoted diversity in biomedical research and provided opportunities for scientific exploration—essential elements in eliminating inequities and optimizing the cancer research workforce. After completing two postdoctoral fellowships, she joined East Carolina University as an assistant professor, and she has since been promoted to associate professor.  

“Throughout these years, I have been really focused on developing novel agents that were effective against cancer,” said Dr. Van Dross-Anderson. “And, through this process, my colleagues and I discovered a novel molecule, which we obtained a patent for to use as a therapeutic for melanoma and other types of cancer.”  

That’s when Claradele was born. In 2020, Dr. Van Dross-Anderson decided to take the leap and start her own biotech company, with the goal of commercializing the molecule for public use.  

“While current cancer therapeutics are incredible, the problem is that these amazing drugs are not effective in every patient,” said Dr. Van Dross-Anderson. “We want to develop an agent that is effective against resistant tumors to provide alternative therapies.” 

To attract third-party investors that would help get her drug to the patients that need them, Dr. Van Dross-Anderson is working through proof-of-concept studies to demonstrate her innovation’s commercial viability. Through her participation in the NCI Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, she has used funding to scale up production and has received entrepreneurial mentorship to navigate the complex business world.  

Her success hinges in part on the people supporting the company, whom Dr. Van Dross-Anderson notes have a special motivation. “Several members of our team have their own cancer story, and that fuels us to keep driving this process forward. This is personal for us.” 

As the National Cancer Plan emphasizes, Dr. Van Dross-Anderson, too, believes that everyone has a role in ending cancer as we know it. “Claradele is committed to developing effective treatments and engaging every person so that all people with cancer can live a full and active life,” she said. 

Learn more about Dr. Van Dross-Anderson in the NCI SBIR Innovation Lab podcast.

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