About Rafias
Building the Future of Addiction Treatment
The Challenge
Cocaine use disorder affects more than 2.4 million Americans, yet no FDA-approved medications exist. Behavioral therapies alone lead to high relapse rates and costly inpatient care. Rafias is closing this gap with a pharmacologic solution that makes recovery lasting.
Our Mission
We are developing the first safe and effective medication for cocaine use disorder, advancing neuroscience and chemistry to restore the brain’s capacity for recovery and reduce relapse worldwide.
Our Approach
Rafias targets Nr4a1, a transcription factor linked to addiction resilience. Through proprietary Cytosporone B derivatives and translational research at the University of Pennsylvania, we’re validating Nr4a1 as a first-in-class therapeutic target and building a commercially viable drug pipeline.
NIH-Funded Innovation, Backed by Penn Research
$405K
NIH STTR Phase 1 Grant (Lead Identification)
$700K
NIH U18 Grant (Target Discovery)
$1M
NIH STTR Phase II (Prototype Development, pending)
A global problem demanding scalable, science-driven solutions.
By The Numbers
Advancing science toward the first treatment for cocaine use disorder.
Our Focus Areas
Target Discovery
Rafias discovered that Nr4a1, a transcription factor, is linked to addiction resilience. Activating Nr4a1 reduces cocaine-seeking behavior and restores neural balance.
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Drug Development
We’re designing Cytosporone B derivatives with stronger stability and precision. Each candidate is tested for potency, selectivity, and safety to identify our lead compound.
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Translational Research
Our preclinical mouse models of cocaine use disorder confirm efficacy and safety benchmarks, bridging the gap between laboratory research and clinical application.
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Platform & Partnerships
Supported by NIH Small Business Funding and Penn's Center for Innovation, Rafias is building a first-in-class platform to deliver safe, effective addiction therapeutics to market.
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Team Rafias
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