Astrotide

Astrotide, LLC

Transforming innovative science into clinical impact

Astrotide partners with scientists, startups, and investors to transform biomedical innovations into fundable, clinically advancing drug development programs.

We bring strategic clarity, operational discipline, and deep scientific insight to projects from early discovery through Phase II clinical trials.

Our engagements range from fractional executive leadership to targeted advisory work, with the goal of converting innovation into high-value therapeutic assets.

Managing Partner:
Askar Kuchumov,
Ph.D.

I’m a scientist turned entrepreneur and investor with more than 15 years of experience shaping biotech ventures from early discovery through clinical development.

My career combines deep scientific understanding with hands-on company building, investment experience, and business development leadership.

I’ve led and backed programs in oncology, metabolic disease, CNS/psychiatry, and longevity - turning innovation into fundable opportunities and partnerships with leading pharma and biotech companies.

Science, strategy, and partnerships - aligned for success.

Peptide-based modalities have been my passion which now power MetaTarget Therapeutics, developing a proprietary synthetic conjugate platform to redefine solid tumor treatment.

Current Venture Spotlight

MetaTarget Therapeutics, Inc.: Proprietary Synthetic Conjugate Platform for Precision Oncology

MTTx is developing a proprietary, fully synthetic, modular drug conjugate platform that takes tumor targeting to the next level.

The design combines high-affinity tumor binding with conditional activation in the tumor microenvironment and a built-in anchoring mechanism to keep drugs concentrated where they are needed most.

The result is a new class of precision oncology therapeutics delivering greater efficacy, lower systemic toxicity, and lower cost than current antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Learn more about MTTx

What we offer:

Fractional or Interim Leadership:
CBO, VP of BD, CEO, or EIR roles.

Portfolio & Pipeline Strategy: target selection, asset positioning, and value creation plans.

Startup Formation & Scaling: from technology transfer to fundraising and team building.

Business Development Leadership & Deal Execution:
acting as the external face of your company to identify, engage, and advance strategic partnership and licensing opportunities.

End-to-End Drug Development Guidance: discovery, preclinical, and early clinical stages.

Current Engagement Highlight

As a Chief Business Officer of Receptor.AI, I help shape the bridge between cutting-edge AI capabilities and real-world drug development needs.

My focus is on translating the platform’s unique strengths into collaborations that matter - from early discovery partnerships with major pharma to defining an internal pipeline that showcases what’s possible when in silico design meets experimental validation.

Discovery-to-Clinic Successes:

Incuron, Inc.

First-in-class small molecule CBL0137 (“Curaxin”) that activates necroptosis, an immunogenic cell death. CBL0137 is currently undergoing PI-initiated Phase Ib/II studies at NIH Children’s Oncology Group, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Roswell Park Cancer Institute / Cleveland Clinic.

Cleveland Biolabs, Inc.

First-in-class TLR-based cancer immunotherapy drugs: protein-based CBLB502 (Entolimod) - completed Phase IIa in colorectal cancer, and lipopeptide CBLB612 - completed Phase IIa in myelosuppressive prophylaxis with chemotherapy.

Marlin Biotech, LLC

Gene therapy (a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector encoding the microdystrophin gene) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, licensed to Generium; now in Phase I/II.

12+

Number of closed strategic transactions with partners including Ono Pharma, Novo Nordisk, Ginkgo Bioworks, Humanwell, Hisun, Novovax.
$39M

Raised in equity investments
$14M

Raised in non-dilutive funding

Education

Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit, MI, USA)
B.Sc. Chemistry, Moscow State University (Russia)

Contacts:

ark@astrotide.com

+1-734-358-8521