ReHeva Biosciences

Thinking Beyond Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer

At ReHeva Biosciences, we are discovering the power of novel botanical agents to develop innovative cancer therapies— ultimately extending and enhancing the lives of cancer patients.

WE DISCOVER AND DEVELOP NATURAL MEDICAL SOLUTIONS THROUGH RIGOROUS PRODUCT AND CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF CANCER

Nature. Science. Agricultural Innovation.

Green plant stem in a clear dish filled with water.

Botanical Raw Material

Standardized plant material for drug development.

A person looking into a microscope.

Clinical Research

Multi target/multi component approach.

Pills.

Enhancing Lives

Treat and manage disease with little to no side effects.

Living Longer and Healthier with Cancer

Our vision is to transform cancer treatment into disease management. We do not accept that unwanted side effects are an inevitable part of efficacious treatment. Nor do we accept that remission period should be brief.

How We Can Do It


RH324 acts in a pleiotropic manner. The multifaceted and broad spectrum benefits of RH324 allow it to have a positive effect on a multitude of pathways involved in cancer, as well as on specific targets within those pathways.

Through rigorous clinical trials, we hope to demonstrate the synergy between our drug candidate, RH324, and anti-cancer drugs — including chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immunotherapy.

Still have any questions? Contact us.
Woman smiling.A person looking into a microscope.

Who We Are

Founded in 2016, ReHeva Biosciences is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing naturally occurring complex drugs.

ReHeva — {Ray-hay-vuh}

Re — once more, afresh, return to a previous state
Heva — peace, life in Japanese

Clear bowls of pills.Potted plant.

Our goal is to develop naturally occurring complex botanicals to improve and extend the lives of cancer patients while treating and managing the disease. At ReHeva, we use botanicals as the starting point for our cancer drug development. Then, we improve upon those and bring new, 100% natural drugs to market that are effective at treating and managing cancer.

ReHeva highlights the importance of returning the body to a healthy and improved state during and following cancer treatment, for a long period of time. We are addressing both an unmet need and an opportunity to develop safe and effective cancer drugs. 

Our Development Timeline

A Unique Path

We are now initiating the FDA’s Phase 1 Safety Trial and planning for Phase 2 Efficacy Trials. Conducted over the next several years, Phase 2 trials will cover more than one cancer indication.

2004–2018

The beginning

Our international research team was involved in pre-clinical drug discovery and development.

2018

IND allowance

The FDA allowed our Investigational New Drug Application (IND), to conduct a Phase 1 Safety Study in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients.

2019–2021

The progress

We conducted drug improvement, non-clinical safety studies, new analytical and assay development, cGMP manufacturing process development, and Controlled Environment Agriculture studies.

September 2021

Phase 1 Safety Trial

IND amendment to include revised drug formulation.

December 2021

Where we are now

Phase I Safety Trial began in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients at University Hospitals in Cleveland.

Today

Join a clinical trial

RHV18002 - Phase 1 Open label dose-ranging study of twice daily oral RH324 (500mg/cap) in adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Meet the Minds Behind ReHeva

We believe that science is bigger than any one person. Therefore, we’ve come together from different countries and continents to work as one team. At ReHeva, we are all empowered to think differently, push scientific boundaries, challenge the status quo, and continually innovate. Our success will be what we achieve collectively. To accomplish our goals, we have assembled an experienced and highly-skilled group of industry veterans, scientists, clinicians, and leaders from around the world. Our expertise in cancer research and drug discovery serves as the foundation of the organization.

Arash Kardan, M.D.
Chair of Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee

Dr. Kardan is an Associate Professor and chief of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at the Baylor College of Medicine. He has an interest in the development and clinical translation of novel, bioimaging markers for the diagnosis and management of various malignancies.

Zeenia Kaul, Ph.D.
CEO, Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer

Zeenia is a trained molecular and cell biologist with 11 years of experience in oncology. She has led and overseen ReHeva since its inception to initiating FDA Phase 1 clinical trial. During her graduate and post-doctoral training, Zeenia was awarded several prestigious national and international awards for leadership and research.

Bill Diffenderffer, J.D.
Co-founder & Executive Chairman

Bill is a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in technology and the travel industry. Prior to co-founding ReHeva, Bill was the founding CEO of Silvercar, Inc., a rental car company that was purchased by Audi. He also worked in the airline industry as the CEO of Skybus Airlines and was the former CEO of SystemOne.

Dr. Sunil Kaul 
Research Advisor

More than 30 years of academic research experience in molecular and cell biology. Globally recognized for his research in identifying proteins that cause aging and cancer. Dr. Kaul research has been continuously funded by the National Institute in Japan. Dr. Kaul has served on several boards and advisory panels and actively participates in the peer review process for many national and international funding agencies and scientific journals. With numerous publications and patents, Dr. Kaul has been elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India and Indian Academy of Neuroscience, India. Dr. Kaul services as the chairman of Indian Scientists Association in Japan (ISAJ), Registered Non-Profit Organization (NPO) in Japan.

Roger Newton, Ph.D., FAHA, FACN
Scientific Advisor

Dr. Newton has worked for 35 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech life sciences industries. He co-discovered and was the product champion of what is now the largest-selling and most-prescribed cholesterol-reducing drug in the world, atorvastatin (Lipitor®). He is currently Founder, Board Director, and Scientific Advisor at Esperion Therapeutics. Prior to his current responsibilities, Roger was SVP, Pfizer Global R&D, and Director, Esperion Therapeutics, a Pfizer, Inc. company.

Freddie Ann Hoffman, M.D.
Regulatory and Medical Affairs

Dr. Hoffman has over 35 years of product development experience. She has served as the Director of Extramural Clinical Trials of the Biological Response Modifiers Program at NCI. During her 14-year tenure at the FDA, she formed and chaired an internal FDA Botanical Working Group which developed the Botanical Drug Guidance, which the FDA finalized in 2004.

Joanna Shuping
Senior Director, Clinical Operations & Development

Joanna brings 15 years of experience in clinical program leadership and management in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research. She has overseen international and national multi-center clinical trials in oncology, neurology, immunology, and diagnostic imaging.

Our Partners

University Hospitals Logo.Intertek Logo.Intravision Logo.Wilson Sonsini Logo.Parexcel Logo.Curia Logo.Pace Analytical Logo.University of Guelph Logo.Charles River Logo.Statking Clinical Services Logo.Crown BioScience Logo.HeteroGeneity, LLC Logo.The Ohio State University Logo.Impact Logo.

Our Story

Life-changing science typically requires brilliant minds, years of research, and major resource commitment.

As a company, ReHeva Biosciences checks the box on all the above. But, at several important moments, random good fortune helped propel us forward.

Our story began nearly 20 years ago when a graduate student from India interned at a cutting-edge research laboratory in Japan. The lab was run by a couple, Dr. Renu Wadhwa and Dr. Sunil Kaul, two highly-acclaimed molecular biologists focusing on cancer treatments and gerontology. The student brought with her a small tin of crushed leaves from India and asked for the chance to put them on cancer cells and see if they had any cytotoxic properties. The answer was yes! That small discovery led to 15 years of study, which resulted in the identification of a unique seed line from a common plant that would kill cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone. 

Throughout several years, these studies were confirmed in over 20 peer-reviewed publications. Usually, the studies would be the end of the story because trying to bring a new, natural, polymolecular cancer treatment to market was just too improbable. But Dr. Wadhwa and Dr. Kaul’s daughter, Zeenia Kaul, grew up in their research lab and developed a passion for continuing her parents’ work.   

Zeenia earned a doctorate in molecular biology from a prestigious laboratory in Sydney, Australia, and completed a fellowship to study cancer research at The Ohio State University. While working on her MBA at the Fisher College of Business, Zeenia took a class in entrepreneurship. Her professor, Bill Diffenderffer, had co-founded several companies, including Skybus Airlines and Silvercar, a car rental company that sold to Audi.

When the semester was over, Bill and Zeenia discussed Zeenia’s parents’ research on a particular cancer treatment. Bill’s wife had just learned her Stage 3C ovarian cancer had reoccurred — and Bill sought to learn more about this groundbreaking work. The more he learned, the more convinced he became that this research could help cancer patients like his wife. There was real possibility.

This was the beginning of ReHeva Biosciences.

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Reach Out To Us
We invite you to learn more about our efforts to develop botanically-based cancer drugs.
Find us at
6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 100
Dublin, Ohio 43017
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