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Reason reports back from Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024

A great summary of 25 speakers who are in various stages of platform building, drug discovery and clinical trials

13-May-2024

Key points from article :

Reason attended the Berlin summit and summarised the talks the he watched - summarised even further in the bullet points below.

He noted that although investors are tending to stay home this year, there was a fair sized crowd here. Though, everyone is in their own group of one when it comes to what the next steps should be.

Otto Kanzler, Rockfish Bio - company's development program is derived from the realization that senescent cells have increased phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity. Treatment of mice with their small molecule has produced an extension of life. 

Marco Quarta, Rubedo Life Sciences - recently raised significant funding for their first clinical program, focused on skin condition such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Expects to start clinical trials in 2025.

Alexander Schueller, cellvie - aims at kidney transplantation as first ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury situation. Working towards the development of good manufacturing practice (GMP) protocols for manufacture of harvested mitochondria. Conducted proof of concept research into using mitochondria as a vector for gene therapy.

Greg Fahy, Intervene Immune - gave an update on their work on the reversal of thymic involution. Extended TRIIM-XA trial (26 participants) is now complete and results are being analyzed.

Eric Verdin, Buck Institute for Research on Aging - researchers have discovered considerable complexity over the course of aging in the changing populations of immune cells of various types and behaviors. Data demonstrates a correlation between lipofuscin burden, age, and other markers of senescence status in T cells.

Lou Hawthorne, NaNotics - Nanot binding represents an improvement over antibody approaches, both in specificity and in controlling the degree of depletion. nflammatory autoimmune conditions and cancers are the initial indications. Now working on a polymer core nanot that will be able to last for a long time in circulation.

Dobri Kiprov, Circulate - quality of the albumin to likely be an important factor in the effects of parabiosis. Recent clinical trial of therapeutic plasma exchange (40 patients) saw some improvement in physical and mental biomarkers as well as SASP) proteins in circulation.

Alejandro Ocampo, Epiterna - concerned that viable anti-aging therapies may fail in single target disease. Low-cost screening platform can run ~3000 molecules in yeast and narrow down to a final 20 in mice in one year. Planning trials in companion dogs.

Lorna Harries, SENISCA - developing oligonucleotides that can suppress detrimental alternative splicing of RNA characteristic of aging and cellular senescence. Has developed their own assays for senescent cell burden in tissues and cell cultures.

Phil Newman, Longevity.Technology - discussed the demographic aging trend as a motivation to work on the treatment of aging as a medical condition.

Lukas Langenegger, Hemotune - developed a dialysis-like machine to remove specific molecules in blood. Uses engineered magnetic nanoparticles decorated with antibodies or other binders. Initially targeting sepsis-induced immunosuppression. Has a proof of concept for the removal of anti-AAV antibodies to enable AAV-based gene therapy to work in patients with existing antibodies.

Robin Mansukhani, Deciduous Therapeutics - their senolytic immunotherapy is a small molecule treatment that produces a lasting alteration in the behavior of invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells). Data shows a sizable reduction in fibrosis in mouse models of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Matthew O'Connor, Cyclarity - has shown in vitro that their cyclodrextrin drug can restore function in macrophages induced by 7-ketocholesterol to become foam cells. First GMP batch is produced, and a phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers and a smaller number of patients with plaque starts this year.

Reason, Repair Biotechnologies - 5-6 arterial plaques identified by imaging indicates a five-fold increase in risk of CVD. Their LNP-mRNA gene therapy can produce a 17% reduction in aortic plaque volume after six weeks of treatment in the LDLR knockout mouse model of accelerated atherosclerosis. Planning a series A round to fund first clinical trial in 2026.

Brian Kennedy, National University of Singapore (NUS) - combination of any two supplements or small molecules that are modestly good on their own can produce any sort of result, bad or good, often bad. Has produced a metabolomic aging clock, and demonstrated that AKG levels in circulation decline with age.

Alexander Leutner, Cellbricks - has developed a light-based bioprinting process for tissue engineering. Vascularized blocks of tissue are functional and stable over time. Presently conducting tests in animal models.

Matthew Scholz, Oisin Biotechnologies - uses Entos Pharmaceuticals fusogenic LNPs to deliver genetic medicine. First indications are sarcopenia and frailty. Has demonstrated upregulation of follistatin to produce muscle growth in mice. Presently raising an A round led by Abbvie Ventures.

Jean Hebert, BE Therapeutics - trying to develop a way to regrow brain tissue based on the recreation of developmental processes. Can now assemble an architecturally correct, vascularized neocortex organoid prototype from iPSCs. In the early preclinical stage.

Janine Sengstack, Junevity - uses siRNA to downregulate specific transcription factor expression to alter cell behavior into more youthful phenotypes. Demonstrated proof of principle in vitro for liver cells. Also improved collagen production in skin.

Jürgen Reeß, Mogling Bio - patented CDC42 inhibitors based on CASIN can slow tumor growth in mouse models. Combined with a PD1 inhibitor, tumors shrink and vanish. Working towards IND-enabling studies for cancer in 2025.

Aaron Cravens, Revel Pharmaceuticals -  develops a platform to discover enzymes that can break down specific advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Initial focus on free circulating form carboxymethylysine (CML).

Aaron Friedman, Reservoir Neuroscience - loss of vascular health is the largest factor contributing to Alzheimer's. Has developed drug discovery platform using organ-on-a-chip screening in blood vessel organoids to target this. In the early stages of lead optimization for one candidate inhibitor of the prostaglandin E2 receptor 2 (EP2).

Chris Bradley, MatterBio - has developed a novel approach to next generation sequencing in order to see single cell mutations. Also engineered bacteria destroy mutated cells - heading into to the clinic as a treatment for cancer.

Nikolina Lauc, GlycanAge - glycan changes can indicate chronic disease up to a decade in advance. GlycanAge shows that metformin has no effect on aging.

Sophie Chabloz, AVEA - developing a collegen precursor for skin aging.

Mentioned in this article:

Click on resource name for more details.

Aaron Cravens

Bioengineer and CEO at Revel Pharmaceuticals

Aaron Friedman

Co-founder and CEO at Reservoir Neuroscience

Alejandro Ocampo

Assistant Professor at University of Lausanne

Alex Schueller

Founder and CEO at Cellvie

Alexander Leutner

CEO at Cellbricks GmbH - Pioneering tissue therapeutics

AVEA

Science-based and personalized longevity supplements, ensuring long-lasting life

Brian Kennedy

Prof of Biochemistry and Physiology at NUS, CSO Ponce De Leon Health

Buck Institute

Independent biomedical research institute focused on aging

Cellbricks

Leading the 3D revolution in printing human biology

Cellvie

Cellvie develops cell-derived medicines, leveraging the therapeutic potential of mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell

Chris Bradley

Chief Executive Officer anf Co-Founder at MatterBio

Cyclarity Therapeutics

Company developing simple and direct interventions targeting toxic forms of cholesterol for age-related diseases

Deciduous Therapeutics

Company developing a novel class of immune-modulatory therapies designed to promote a healthy lifespan.

Dobri Kiprov

Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Lyfspn

Epiterna

Longevity company for pets and people

Eric Verdin

CEO & President at Buck Institute for Research on Aging

GlycanAge

Club discount available - click here

Glycan-based test to determine your biological age

Greg Fahy

World expert in organ cryopreservation, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder at Intervene Immune

hemotune

Company developing a revolutionary medical device for blood purification

Intervene Immune

Company focused on the age-related decline of the immune system, which is known as immunosenescence

Janine Sengstack

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder at Junevity

Jean Hebert

Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Juergen Reess

Co-founder and CEO at Mogling Bio, Managing Director at Cellerys AG

Junevity

Company that focuses on reversing diseases of aging

Longevity Technology

Daily news and insights on research, investments and technologies on life extension

Lorna Harries

Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter

Louis Hawthorne

Founder and CEO at NaNotics

Lukas Langenegger

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder at hemotune

Marco Quarta

Co-Founder CEO at Rubedo Life Sciences

MatterBio

Longevity through DNA information preservation

Matthew O’Connor

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Cyclarity Therapeutics (former Underdog Pharmaceuticals)

Matthew Scholz

Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Oisín Biotechnologies

Mogling Bio

Biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for rejuvenating old stem cells

NaNotics

Company developing a novel nano-medicine platform for treating multiple diseases, including cancer, sepsis, auto-immune disorders and the harmful effects of aging.

National University of Singapore (NUS)

Asia’s leading university with a global approach in education, research and service

Nikolina Lauc

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GlycanAge

Oisin Biotechnologies

Drug development company focused on the senolytic technology to fight age-related diseases

Otto Kanzler

CEO of Rockfish Bio, Chorus, Evercyte, Syconium, InnoFly Management; CFO of TAmiRNA, Phoenestra

Phil Newman

CEO & Founder Longevity.Technology

Reason Cherman

CEO of Repair Technologies and founder of Fight Aging

Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024

10-May-2024 to 11-May-2024

The leading networking event for rejuvenation startups, longevity investors and translational researchers by Forever Healthy Foundation

Repair Biotechnologies

Biotechnology company focused on developing drugs for cholesterol and aging-related diseases

Reservoir Neuroscience

Biotech company developing novel therapeutics to heal the blood-brain barrier and treat brain disease

Revel Pharmaceuticals

Biotechnology company commercializing therapeutic enzymes to degrade age associated molecule damage.

Robin Mansukhani

CEO and Co-founder of Deciduous Therapeutics

Rockfish Bio

Promoting healthy ageing with senolytic therapies for age-related diseases

Rubedo Life Sciences

Extending Health Span and Reverting Age-Related Diseases.

SENISCA

University of Exeter spinout developing senotherapeutic interventions through modulation of dysregulated RNA splicing

Sophie Chabloz

Co-Founder and CPO at Avea Life

Topics mentioned on this page:
Rejuvenation, Biotechnology
Reason reports back from Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024