TBT Pharma

Pioneering Breakthrough,
Low-Cost Solutions to
Stress-Related Skin Conditions.

TBT Pharma is a clinical-stage dermatology company dedicated to transforming the standard of care for psoriasis, keloids, and orphan skin diseases by replacing topical steroids as a first line treatment with innovative, low-cost topical therapies that address the root cause of disease.

Our Story

Founded in 2016 by Dr. Ian Tolfree, TBT Pharma was inspired by scientific discoveries at NYU and Northwestern that revealed the skin’s ability to produce stress hormones, directly linking stress to skin disease. This insight led to our unique approach: targeting local stress hormone production in the skin to treat conditions like psoriasis and chronic wounds at their source.

Our Mission

TBT Pharma aims to disrupt the dermatology market by developing safe, effective, and affordable topical therapies for large unmet needs in inflammatory skin conditions. We leverage time-tested, FDA-approved drugs repurposed for topical use, accelerating development and lowering costs.

Pioneering Breakthrough,
Low-Cost Solutions to
Stress-Related Skin Conditions.

Our Story

Our Mission

Science & Tech

The Problem: “Stress Made My Skin Worse”

For generations we have heard people say, “Stress made my skin worse” and treated them with immunosuppressants. Millions suffer from skin conditions worsened by stress-induced hormone production in the skin. Traditional treatments are expensive and carry risks like skin thinning, endocrine disruption, liver and kidney failure, cancer, and increased risk of infection. We can safely target the root cause, stress hormone production in the skin, with minimal side effects.

The Solution: Pathogenesis-Based Therapies

The key discovery is that the skin can produce stress hormones and communicate with the HPA axis to regulate local production. These conditions have the hallmark of high

local cortisol and an over expression of c-myc, an oncogene, which results in a hyperproliferative state that causes cells to rapidly divide without migrating, building up in plaques.

We inhibit local stress hormone (cortisol) production in the skin using topical tbt-101, which blocks local cholesterol production– a precursor to cortisol. This approach

normalizes skin function, addressing the underlying pathology rather than just symptoms.

Normally, gsk3b plays a pivotal role in degrading b-catenin, preventing accumulation.

Many things degrade gs3kb, resulting in WNT activation. High cortisol leads to high levels of glucocorticoid receptor, the main culprit for our indications.

Science & Tech

The Problem: “Stress Made My Skin Worse”

The Solution: Pathogenesis-Based Therapies

The key discovery is that the skin can produce stress hormones and communicate with the HPA axis to regulate local production. These conditions have the hallmark of high

local cortisol and an over expression of c-myc, an oncogene, which results in a hyperproliferative state that causes cells to rapidly divide without migrating, building up in plaques.

We inhibit local stress hormone (cortisol) production in the skin using topical tbt-101, which blocks local cholesterol production– a precursor to cortisol. This approach

normalizes skin function, addressing the underlying pathology rather than just symptoms.

Normally, gsk3b plays a pivotal role in degrading b-catenin, preventing accumulation.

Many things degrade gs3kb, resulting in WNT activation. High cortisol leads to high levels of glucocorticoid receptor, the main culprit for our indications.

Why TBT Pharma?

Low Risk Development

We’re addressing multi-billion-dollar markets with high unmet need while taking advantage of a de-risked clinical profile, validated mechanism, and strong IP.

The low cost of goods enables a high volume, cost-effective model, and repurposing generics shortens development timelines and reduces risk.

We’re backed by worldwide, exclusive patent licenses from NYU and Northwestern for all fields of use in addition to our own filings. We are led by a proven team with a track record in healthcare and biotech innovation.

Clinically Validated

TBT’s approach is clinically validated with publicly available data from several hundreds patients, including two phase II-size trials for Psoriasis and Chronic Wounds. Our focus is to replace topical steroids as standard of care.

Psoriasis

70% improvement in PASI score, limited adverse events

orphan skin diseases

CHILD syndrome, a type of ichthyosis, completely resolved after the treatment period.

Chronic Wounds

2.7x increase in healing rates, 4x reduction in severity

Research

psoriasis

Topical Melatonin and Rosuvastatin Reduce Severity of Mild to Moderate Plaque Psoriasis

psoriasis

Topical Melatonin and Rosuvastatin Reduce Severity of Mild to Moderate Plaque Psoriasis

psoriasis

Topical Melatonin and Rosuvastatin Reduce Severity of Mild to Moderate Plaque Psoriasis

orphan skin diseases

Safety and Efficacy of Topical Lovastatin Plus Cholesterol Cream vs Topical Lovastatin Cream Alone...

orphan skin diseases

Safety and Efficacy of Topical Lovastatin Plus Cholesterol Cream vs Topical Lovastatin Cream Alone...

orphan skin diseases

Safety and Efficacy of Topical Lovastatin Plus Cholesterol Cream vs Topical Lovastatin Cream Alone...

orphan skin diseases

CHILD syndrome: successful treatment of skin lesions with topical lovastatin and cholesterol lotion

orphan skin diseases

CHILD syndrome: successful treatment of skin lesions with topical lovastatin and cholesterol lotion

orphan skin diseases

CHILD syndrome: successful treatment of skin lesions with topical lovastatin and cholesterol lotion

orphan skin diseases

Rapid improvement of skin lesions in CHILD syndrome with topical 5% simvastatin ointment

orphan skin diseases

Rapid improvement of skin lesions in CHILD syndrome with topical 5% simvastatin ointment

orphan skin diseases

Rapid improvement of skin lesions in CHILD syndrome with topical 5% simvastatin ointment

chronic wounds

Efficacy of topical atorvastatin for the treatment of pressure ulcers: a randomized clinical trial

chronic wounds

Efficacy of topical atorvastatin for the treatment of pressure ulcers: a randomized clinical trial

chronic wounds

Efficacy of topical atorvastatin for the treatment of pressure ulcers: a randomized clinical trial

chronic wounds

The protective effect of statins against pressure ulcers in stroke patients: A propensity-score matched study...

chronic wounds

The protective effect of statins against pressure ulcers in stroke patients: A propensity-score matched study...

chronic wounds

The protective effect of statins against pressure ulcers in stroke patients: A propensity-score matched study...

The TBT Team

Ian Tolfree, PhD

CEO & Founder

Dr. Tolfree has extensive startup experience acquired from both running his own companies and building the Johns Hopkins University accelerator program. A theoretical physicist turned commercialization generalist, Dr. Tolfree was Manager of Johns Hopkins University’s FastForward incubator where he advised more than 70 research groups, many in the fields of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, on commercialization and business building. Dr. Tolfree received his B.S. in Applied Physics from Columbia University and his Ph.D. in Particle Physics from Johns Hopkins University.

Howard Maibach, MD

Clinical Advisor

Narahimsa Murthy, PhD

Clinical Advisor

Tom Mustoe, MD

Clinical Advisor

Nehal N. Mehta, MD, MSCE

Clinical Advisor