Lead programPreclinical
STC-101
Liver-activated oral testosterone prodrug
01Oral delivery
02Liver activation
03Testosterone
STC-101 is an investigational preclinical compound. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Preclinical biopharmaceutical company
Rethinking oraltestosterone replacement.
SteroCore Therapeutics is a preclinical biopharmaceutical company developing STC-101, a metabolically activated oral testosterone prodrug designed to address key biological barriers that limit oral testosterone delivery.
STC-101Lead program
PreclinicalDevelopment stage
University of KansasResearch origin
Development goals
A differentiated target profile.
The STC platform is being developed toward a once-daily oral therapy with less dependence on food and a more predictable pharmacokinetic profile.
Once-daily
A convenient oral dosing profile.
Less food dependence
Designed to reduce the influence of food on absorption.
More predictable PK
Aiming for more consistent testosterone exposure and levels.
These characteristics are development goals and have not been established in clinical studies.
Our approach
Activated in the liver to release testosterone.
STC-101 is an oral prodrug designed to be activated in the liver and release testosterone. This approach is intended to support a practical, once-daily oral therapy with more predictable exposure.
Physiology-led design
The platform is informed by known metabolic liabilities of testosterone.
Metabolic activation
STC compounds are designed for liver activation and testosterone release.
Stepwise de-risking
Computational, in vitro, and in vivo studies guide analog selection and formulation development.
Pipeline
De-risking the STC platform one study at a time.
Each study is designed to answer the next critical scientific, formulation, or translational question.
Molecular design
In vitro activation studies
Rodent proof-of-concept
Analog synthesis and screening
Translational PK and formulation
IND-enabling toxicology and CMC
Development plans are forward-looking and may change as additional data are generated.
Our origin
Built from pharmacy-driven science.
SteroCore originated from research in Dr. Michael Hageman's laboratory at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. The program grew from a patient-care observation into a preclinical drug-development effort focused on improving oral testosterone delivery.
Read the full KU News featureTeam
Built at the intersection of pharmacy and drug development.
Co-founder
Yezan Salamoun
A pharmacist and doctoral researcher in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Kansas. His work focuses on oral testosterone prodrug development, translational pharmacokinetics, and drug-delivery strategies. He helped originate the STC program and advance its early in vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept studies.
Co-founder
Michael Hageman
Valentino J. Stella Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas and Director of the Biopharmaceutical Innovation and Optimization Center. He brings more than three decades of industry and academic experience in formulation, prodrug design, preclinical optimization, and translational drug delivery.
News & updates
Following the science and the field.
Company milestones and selected developments across testosterone therapeutics, regulation, and public health.
Startup from School of Pharmacy seeks to redefine oral testosterone replacement therapy
KU News explores the patient problem, physiology-led science, and stepwise preclinical development behind SteroCore.
Read at KU News