Biomaterials · Chronic Wound Care

Valfard Therapeutics

Pioneering innovative biomaterial-based growth factor delivery for treating Stage I and II diabetic foot ulcers.

Purpose

A massive, underserved
opportunity

Tens of millions of people are living with a diabetic foot ulcer today, and the standard of care hasn’t kept pace — most are still treated with dressings built to manage a wound, not close it. That gap between unmet need and outdated care is driving a market already worth billions, and set to grow fast over the next decade.

40M+

People worldwide currently living with a diabetic foot ulcer1

$7.1B+

Global DFU treatment market size today, 20252

$12.5B+

Projected global DFU treatment market by 20343

1 McDermott et al., Diabetes Care 46(1):209–221, 2023.

2 Fortune Business Insights, DFU Market Report, 2026.

3 Fortune Business Insights, DFU Market Report, 2026.

The Problem

Current care manages symptoms.
Not the wound itself.

While current treatments focus on symptom management, Valfard offers a targeted healing solution that addresses the root cause of chronic diabetic wounds.

From

Moist gauzes and topical creams

To

Controlled release of growth factors via injectable biomaterial

Our Technology

Enzyme-responsive controlled
release of TGF‑β

Diabetic foot ulcers are starved of the growth factors needed to rebuild tissue. At the same time, the wound bed is flooded with destructive enzymes that break down the few reparative signals still present — so the critical mediators of wound remodelling never survive long enough to act.

Valfard’s enzymatically crosslinked polymer-peptide hydrogel carries TGF‑β through peptide linkers engineered to respond to exactly that signal. When MMP‑9 is present, it breaks down the crosslinked gel and actively releases TGF‑β locally — right where the wound needs it — promoting wound remodelling while the hydrogel keeps the wound bed moist throughout.

Enzymatically crosslinked gel polymer–peptide mesh, embedded with TGF-β MMP‑9 enzyme breaks down the crosslinked gel TGF‑β released actively, right at the wound site Promotes wound remodelling signals new tissue repair
Enzymatically crosslinked gel MMP‑9 enzyme TGF‑β released Wound remodelling

How the therapy works, step by step

1
Epidermis Dermis Subcutaneous Chronic wound margin inflamed, non-healing edge Neutrophils & macrophages drive elevated MMP‑9

Chronic, non-healing DFU

A stage I–II diabetic foot ulcer, shown at the tissue level, stalled in a chronic, inflamed state that will not close on its own.

2
Epidermis Dermis Subcutaneous Injectable biomaterial TGF‑β hydrogel, crosslinked

Intradermal injection

Valfard’s injectable biomaterial is delivered directly into the wound bed to promote tissue regeneration and closure.

3
Epidermis Dermis Subcutaneous Remodeled tissue re-epithelialized, wound closed

Healed & remodeled

After Valfard’s injectable, the DFU closes and the tissue remodels — new, healthy tissue replaces the chronic wound.

Pipeline

One lead program, advancing
toward IND‑enabling studies.

VTX‑107, Valfard’s enzyme-responsive injectable biomaterial for diabetic foot ulcers, is moving out of formulation optimization and into IND‑enabling development.

Name
Mechanism
Indication
Discovery
Optimization
IND‑Enabling
Phase 1
Phase 2
VTX‑107
Growth factor delivery
Stage I & II diabetic foot ulcers
✓
Current stage

Team

Scientific leadership built
for this problem

Zikria Saif, Co-Founder & CEO of Valfard Therapeutics

Zikria Saif

Co-Founder & CEO
BS/MS Materials Science & Engineering, Drexel University
Dr. Neha Chauhan, Co-Founder & CSO of Valfard Therapeutics

Dr. Neha Chauhan

Co-Founder & CSO
Materials Science PhD, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Post Doc, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Dr. Zahed Subhan, Chief Business Officer of Valfard Therapeutics

Dr. Zahed Subhan

Chief Business Officer
PhD, JD, MBA · 3× exits/IPO with biotech startups
Advisor Dr. Rezaul Karim Technical Advisor · Ex-J&J, REGRANEX team

Get In Touch

Let’s heal what
current care can’t.

Investors, CRO partners, and clinical collaborators — we’d love to hear from you as we move toward in-vivo proof of concept.

hello@valfardtx.com
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