Description

Sea4Us is a biotechnology company dedicated to transform marine-inspired compounds into innovative therapies for unmet medical needs.

Sea4Us discovers unique chemical compounds found in marine organisms and develops them into innovative treatments, in particular those with abnormal neuronal signalling, such as chronic pain. Marine resources, such as sea sponges, provide a diverse array of bioactive molecules with the potential to target pain pathways. In the framework of its ‘Sea4Pain’ project, Sea4Us is transforming these marine-inspired, scientifically developed compounds into optimised and synthesisable pharmaceutical ingredients.

The development of Sea4Pain through to the first human trials and its licensing and marketing to the pharmaceutical industry has the support of the European Innovation Council's (EIC) Accelerator programme.

The funds raised through the present campaign will be used to advance the payment of the public incentive grants awarded to Sea4Us, and ensure that Sea4Pain is developed at fast pace to reach clinical trials in 2026. The project will strengthen Sea4Us' operational capabilities and its readiness to obtain license agreements with pharmaceutical companies on a global level. 

The funds raised by this campaign will be directed to fuel the completion of the regulated GLP-Tox studies by the end of 2025 and the production of the compound for human tests, with the subsequent preparation of the application for clinical trials, and with Phase 1 clinical tests starting in the first semester of 2026. A new patent is expected from these results, to further protect Sea4Pain and increase its commercial value.

Sea4Pain is a non-opiate analgesic for the treatment of moderate-severe chronic pain. This analgesic acts through a new mechanism of action, which allows for analgesic efficacy equivalent to opiates, but without altering sensory perception and without affecting the brain. This drug, derived and refined from a molecule found in a marine sponge from the Portuguese coast, in Sagres, has proven its efficacy in 7 different chronic disease models. 

With the funds raised through the first campaign, Sea4Us was able to upscale Sea4Pain to industrial production (kg) certified for regulated toxicology and safety tests (GLP-Tox studies), and also executed advanced safety studies, that have shown excellent tolerability of the compound even at the highest tested dosages, with no adverse effects, providing a high safety margin of at least 50-100x the therapeutic predicted reference. Further, Sea4Pain has shown the absence of genotoxicity, with high metabolic stability. A new patent on Sea4Pain is currently being finalised for PCT application.

The current safety and absence of toxicology observed for Sea4Pain make it possible to offer a safe and effective alternative to existing pain treatments without the risk of addiction or habituation. This technology has already been patented by Sea4Us.

The project is ongoing, and clinical trials are expected to start in 2026. The main goal of the promoter at the moment is to advance the development of Sea4Us' innovative medicines, particularly Sea4Pain, by financing key R&D activities such as regulated pre-clinical toxicology, clinical trial applications and the execution of first-in-human clinical trials, which will catapult Sea4Pain’s value and accelerate its commercialization, by 2027.

You can learn more here: Sea4Us_Sea4Pain_Jun2025

The Impact

Direct

• Promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship in Biotechnology: Sea4Us is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery and development of new drugs based on novel marine compounds. Sea4Pain, a first in class novel analgesic, whose purpose is to replace the treatment of chronic pain using opioids with substances extracted from the ocean (reducing the side effects of opioids usage). Sea4Pain targets ion channels found in peripheral pain-sensing neurons outside the brain and spinal cord (as opposed to opioids). By selectively blocking these channels in hyperactive state, pain sensing neurons “in pain”, it prevents the brain from perceiving pain without affecting normal brain function (it acts only on hyperactive neurons and has minimal impact on non-painful ones). 
• Promotion of sustainable development: Sea4Us is a voluntary signatory of the UN Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN Goals, and also of the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Portugal. This is an initiative supported by the scientific community in collaboration with the European Animal Research Association (EARA) to promote transparency and openness about the use of animals in biomedical research in our country. 
• Contribution to the maintenance of marine ecosystems and sustainable marine economic activities: Relying heavily on the ocean for its operations, the company has made an effort to integrate environmental protection and ecosystem conservation in its activities. With its own diving team, it actively engages in ecosystem monitoring, management and recording of invasive species, and support to the repopulation of native species.
• Promoting the quality of life of patients with chronic pain: Sea4us aims to provide over 50% pain relief with Sea4Pain, without the severe side effects associated with long-term opioid use (such as drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, constipation and tolerance). While the treatment has potential benefits for the 1.6 billion people worldwide who suffer from chronic pain, the company is initially targeting the chronic post-surgery/post-trauma pain (CPSP) which in Europe represent a population of 9 million people. 

Indirect

• Promoting the economy and scientific and technological development of the Algarve and Portugal: Sea4Us has its laboratory in Sagres, in the Algarve, where biotechnology activities are carried out, mobilizing a network of dozens of active partners to implement projects and disseminate knowledge in this region of Portugal. In this way, it is possible to raise the potential of the country's marine resources and the development of differentiating activities in the blue economy to an international scale, contributing to local economic development.

Contribution to the Sustainable
Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

Financial viability

Download the Financial Statements for the promoter here

Download Key Investment Information Sheet

The Promoter

About SEA4US, BIOTECNOLOGIA E RECURSOS MARINHOS, S.A.

Sea4Us - Biotecnologia e Recursos Marinhos, S.A., founded in 2013, is a Portuguese biotechnology company specialising in the discovery and development of innovative drugs derived from marine compounds. Their focus is to respond to clinical needs without adequate treatment, such as chronic pain or chemotherapy-induced pain, osteoarthritis, overactive bladder and infectious diseases.

Sea4Us was originally created by 7 co-founders inspired by the great marine biodiversity of the Atlantic Ocean in Sagres, southern Portugal, where their Headquarters and Marine Station were born.

Sagres continues to be the main location for the collection of marine samples and the discovery of new bioactive compounds, while pre-clinical development is carried out in Lisbon at the Physiology Laboratory.

A spin-off from NOVA Medical School (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), Sea4Us combines its expertise in marine biology and electrophysiology to identify differentiating compounds, develop them into new drugs, and carry out their pre-clinical validation and safety.

The promoter aims to be a biotechnology company of reference worldwide in the research and development of pharmaceutical products. Sea4Us also intends to systematise and scale up the company's activities and services that promote the sharing and valuing of acquired biotechnological knowledge. The goal is to contribute to the company's scientific and economic sustainability and the development of the Algarve region. 

Sea4Us and Sea4Pain have been recognised by the European Union through the ‘EIC-Accelerator’, a Programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC). This Programme distinguishes the development of this new medicine and its impact on society and patients' quality of life, and supports its development up to and including the first human clinical trials.

The team

Pedro A. Lima

Co-founder, President of Board of Directors and CEO

Nuno Leitão

Co-founder, Member of the Board of Directors, and CFO

Tânia Ferreira

COO, Business Development & Innovation

André Bastos

Co-founder, Member of the Board of Directors and CTO

Business Model

Updates