Participated · Series D · Feb 2024

BioAge develops novel therapies for obesity and metabolic diseases by leveraging human aging biology and a discovery platform built on human longevity data. Its lead program, azelaprag, is an oral apelin receptor (APJ) agonist described as a potential first-in-class agent entering Phase 2 trials in combination with tirzepatide. In Phase 1b, azelaprag promoted muscle metabolism, increased energy expenditure, and prevented muscle atrophy in healthy older volunteers at bedrest; preclinical studies showed it doubled weight loss achieved on incretin drugs with improved body composition and muscle function. The company plans Phase 2 studies of azelaprag in combination with Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) and other incretins, with Zepbound studies expected to begin mid-2024 in collaboration with Eli Lilly’s Chorus. BioAge also maintains earlier-stage preclinical programs addressing pathways in metabolic aging. The announced financing will support these clinical programs and key upcoming data readouts.

Participated · Series D · Feb 2024

BioAge Labs uses insights from human aging to discover targets and develop therapies for metabolic diseases. Its lead program, azelaprag, is an oral APJ (apelin) receptor agonist being advanced as a potential first-in-class oral regimen to amplify weight loss and improve body composition when combined with incretin drugs. In a Phase 1b trial azelaprag promoted muscle metabolism, increased energy expenditure, and prevented muscle atrophy in healthy older volunteers; preclinical studies showed it doubled weight loss achieved with incretins and improved body composition and muscle function. The company plans Phase 2 combination studies of azelaprag with Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide), expected to begin in mid-2024 in collaboration with Eli Lilly’s Chorus. BioAge also continues to advance earlier-stage metabolic aging programs derived from its discovery platform built on human longevity data. The company completed an oversubscribed $170 million Series D to fund these clinical programs and pipeline advancement. BioAge Labs develops proprietary drugs aimed at treating aging and age-related diseases by using datasets and an AI-driven platform to identify molecular drivers of age-related pathology. The company is advancing a pipeline of therapies that target key pathways to increase healthspan and lifespan. Proceeds from its recent financing will be used to build a diversified portfolio of therapies and to augment its AI capabilities. BioAge also plans to expand its capabilities to test drug candidates in predictive models of human diseases of aging. Led by co-founder and CEO Kristen Fortney, the company emphasizes translating molecular insights into candidate therapies. The company announced the appointment of Paul Rubin, M.D., as chief medical officer to lead clinical development efforts. BioAge Labs is a Berkeley, CA-based developer of a machine-learning powered platform that measures human aging and accelerates drug discovery. The company's platform focuses on identifying and refining signatures of aging to target diseases where aging is causal. Leadership includes CEO Kristen Fortney, PhD; Chris Morrissey, PhD, Head of Bioinformatics; and Jonah Sinick, PhD, Head of Data Science. BioAge raised $10.9M in a Series A financing to support its development and early-stage work. It plans to use the funds to build its team, refine and test its aging signatures, and begin in vivo evaluation of drug candidates. Ultimately the company aims to combat suffering and disability from aging-related diseases and to restore both quality and quantity of life in old age.

Participated · Series A · Dec 2023

Tome Biosciences develops programmable genomic integration (PGI) technologies to insert genetic sequences of any size at specific genomic locations for integrative gene and cell therapies. Its lead PGI approach, integrase-mediated PGI (I-PGI), is based on PASTE technology discovered by co‑founders Omar Abudayyeh and Jonathan Gootenberg at MIT and combines CRISPR/Cas9 site-specificity with integrases to insert DNA without double-strand breaks. Tome has demonstrated site-specific insertions of more than 30 kb in multiple dividing and non-dividing cell types and can multiplex edits to enable complex cell engineering. The company holds an exclusive license to the core PASTE technology and lists U.S. patents 11,572,556; 11,827,881; and 11,834,658. Led by President and CEO Rahul Kakkar, Tome plans to use the new capital to develop integrative gene therapies for monogenic liver diseases and cell therapies for autoimmune diseases. The company raised $213M in Series A and Series B financings and operates in the genomic medicines field focused on delivering curative therapies.