The challenge
Most cancer treatments today work by targeting specific markers on tumor cells. But the markers currently used are only found in a small fraction of patients, and they also appear on healthy cells, which can cause serious side effects. Many patients with solid tumors still have few effective options.
The field needs a new kind of target: one that is present on tumors but largely absent from normal tissue.
70-80%
of solid tumors express HERV-K
Low / None
expression in normal adult tissues
6,000+
tumor & normal biopsies analyzed
Our approach
Buried in our DNA are ancient viral sequences called human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), making up about 8% of the human genome. They are normally silent in healthy adults.
HERV‑K, one family of these sequences, gets reactivated in cancer cells. It appears on their surface, acts as an upstream driver of tumor growth, and its expression increases as the disease progresses and spreads.
SunnyBay has developed therapies that specifically recognize HERV‑K on cancer cells, delivering treatment directly to tumors while leaving healthy tissue unharmed.
Cancers we target
HERV-K is expressed in approximately 70-80% of multiple solid tumor types. SunnyBay's approach has shown activity across a broad range of cancers, including:
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Colon Cancer
Melanoma
In preclinical studies, SBB001 has demonstrated tumor growth inhibition, reduced metastatic spread, and extended survival, including in hard-to-treat tumors with KRAS and p53 mutations.
The team
SunnyBay's founders, Dr. Feng Wang-Johanning (CEO) and Dr. Gary Johanning (CSO), have spent over 25 years as pioneers in HERV biology, with affiliations including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford Cancer Institute, SRI International, and UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Their work spans over 6,000 tumor and normal biopsies, more than $15M in NIH and DoD research funding, and four international patents covering antibodies, cell therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics.
