Sur180 Therapeutics

Sur180 Therapeutics is a women-centered biotechnology startup based in McAllen, Texas, with research operations in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The company is developing non-hormonal, evidence-based therapeutics for endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition that affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age — an estimated 190 million globally and 6.5 million in the United States. Sur180 positions itself as a new direction in endometriosis care, targeting the root causes of the disease rather than only its symptoms. The company's flagship program focuses on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis — the body's stress system — rather than the traditional gonadal (hormonal) axis that most existing endometriosis treatments address. Its principal drug candidate, referred to as "Drug P," is described as a safe CRHR1 antagonist previously studied in other contexts. This approach is intended to offer a non-hormonal alternative for patients who cannot tolerate or do not respond to hormonal therapies. Sur180 Therapeutics was founded in 2021 by three scientists with more than 20 years of translational research experience across neuroscience, gastroenterology, and molecular biology. The founding team includes Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Ph.D. (Co-Founder & CEO), a behavioral neuroscientist; Caroline B. Appleyard, Ph.D. (Co-Founder & Scientific Director), a clinical pharmacologist; and Idhaliz Flores, Ph.D. (Co-Founder & Chair of the Scientific Board), a molecular biologist and endometriosis patient advocate. The company's name reflects its origins: "Sur" means "south" in Spanish, recognizing the founders' roots and the company's base in South Texas and Puerto Rico, while "180" signals its philosophy of turning in a new direction. The startup has secured a competitive, peer-reviewed grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance its novel therapeutic approach. Its intellectual property portfolio includes a granted U.S. patent with exclusive licensing rights and a second patent application under joint ownership. Sur180 operates a laboratory presence at the Ponce Research Institute in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where its research staff conduct preclinical experimentation and translational science. As a private, early-stage biotech company, Sur180 Therapeutics is focused on research and development rather than commercial product sales. Its mission is to challenge current treatment paradigms for endometriosis and bring forward therapies that address the underlying mechanisms of the disease.

Sur180 Therapeutics was founded in 2021 as a women-centered biotechnology startup. Its founding team brought together more than 20 years of translational research experience across neuroscience, gastroenterology, and molecular biology, with a shared focus on endometriosis. The company is based in McAllen, Texas, in the South Texas region, and maintains research operations at the Ponce Research Institute in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The name Sur180 reflects this geography and philosophy: "Sur" (Spanish for "south") recognizes the founders' roots and the company's South Texas and Puerto Rico base, while "180" represents a deliberate turn in a new direction for endometriosis treatment. From its inception, Sur180 has pursued a non-hormonal approach to endometriosis, targeting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis — the body's stress system — rather than the gonadal axis addressed by conventional hormonal therapies. The company's principal drug candidate, referred to as "Drug P," is a CRHR1 antagonist that had previously been studied and described as safe. This program aims to address the root causes of endometriosis rather than only managing symptoms, and to offer an option for patients who cannot use or do not benefit from hormonal treatments. The startup has secured a competitive, peer-reviewed grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance its therapeutic approach. Its intellectual property portfolio includes a granted U.S. patent with exclusive licensing rights and a second patent application under joint ownership. Research staff have been with the company since its inception, conducting preclinical experimentation and translational science at the Ponce Research Institute laboratories. The company has continued to build its scientific team, with a research coordinator joining in July 2025 to oversee GLP alignment and database management. As a private, early-stage company, Sur180 Therapeutics remains focused on research and development. It positions itself within a broader unmet need in endometriosis care: the condition affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age, an estimated 190 million globally and 6.5 million in the U.S., and is characterized by long diagnostic delays of 7–10 years from symptom onset. Sur180's stated vision is to pioneer a new direction in endometriosis treatment through non-hormonal, evidence-based therapeutics.

• 2025

  Luis A. Rivera-Arce, PhD joined as Research Coordinator in July 2025, overseeing GLP alignment and database management.

• 2021

  Sur180 Therapeutics founded as a women-centered biotech startup.

• 2021

  Research staff begin work at the Ponce Research Institute labs in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

• Secured a competitive, peer-reviewed NIH grant to advance its novel endometriosis therapeutic approach.

• Intellectual property portfolio includes a granted U.S. patent with exclusive licensing rights and a second patent application under joint ownership.

Women-centered biotech startup pioneering non-hormonal, root-cause endometriosis therapies by targeting the HPA axis instead of the gonadal axis.

• Drug P (CRHR1 antagonist)

  Principal drug candidate, a safe CRHR1 antagonist previously studied, targeting the HPA axis for non-hormonal endometriosis treatment.

1. 1Sur180 Therapeutics | Non-hormonal endometriosis caresur180therapeutics.com
2. 2About Us | Sur180sur180therapeutics.com
3. 3Sur180 Therapeutics (United States) - Wikidatawikidata.org