U.S.-based hypertension drug developer Retension Pharmaceuticals has submitted paperwork to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with plans to raise up to $58 million through its initial public offering. The company had previously filed its listing application confidentially on December 31, 2025. It intends to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "RTSN," though specific pricing terms for the IPO have not yet been disclosed.

Founded in 2023, Retension Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company currently focused on developing a single product, RTN-001. This is a once-daily oral PDE-5 inhibitor designed to treat uncontrolled and resistant hypertension. First-generation PDE-5 inhibitors, such as Viagra, have never achieved meaningful blood pressure reductions. The company attributes this to the difficulty these drugs face in adequately penetrating the smooth muscle-rich central vasculature. RTN-001 has been redesigned to improve bioavailability and enhance distribution within these tissues.

The drug was originally developed by Surface Logix and subsequently passed through Nano Terra, Kadmon, and Sanofi before the current team reacquired its license in 2023, bringing with it data from nine completed trials, including two Phase 2 studies. In October 2025, the company initiated a Phase 2b dose-finding trial enrolling 280 patients, which is currently approximately 40% enrolled, with preliminary data expected in the first half of 2027.