Key Highlights
- $170 million Series D financing led by Sofinnova Investments with participation from top investors and pharma companies.
- Funding supports Phase 2 trials of azelaprag, an innovative oral apelin receptor agonist, for obesity treatment.
- Azelaprag shown to increase weight loss and improve body composition in combination with incretin drugs.
Source: Business Wire
Notable Quotes
- “This funding will support us through key clinical milestones and data readouts for our lead compound azelaprag in obesity,” – Kristen Fortney, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder at BioAge
- “We’re excited to support BioAge’s commitment to develop potentially life-changing therapies that improve patient lives in obesity and other metabolic diseases,” – James Healy, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Partner at Sofinnova Investments
SoHC's Take
The completion of BioAge’s oversubscribed Series D financing round is a significant milestone in the biotechnology industry, especially in the field of obesity and metabolic diseases. The involvement of leading investment firms and pharmaceutical companies underscores the potential of azelaprag, BioAge’s lead compound, to revolutionize the treatment landscape for obesity. This financing not only facilitates the advancement of azelaprag into Phase 2 trials but also highlights the growing interest in innovative therapies derived from the biology of aging.
The collaboration with Eli Lilly’s Chorus organization and the anticipated studies with Zepbound (tirzepatide) further emphasize the strategic approach BioAge is taking in developing combination therapies that address the complexities of obesity treatment. The promising results from early trials of azelaprag demonstrate its potential to significantly impact weight loss and improve body composition, offering hope for more effective obesity treatments.
BioAge’s success in securing substantial funding and progressing its lead compound into later-stage clinical trials reflects the company’s robust scientific foundation and the high confidence investors have in its potential to deliver groundbreaking therapies. As BioAge continues to leverage its discovery platform and human longevity data, the biotech sector watches closely, anticipating the impact these developments will have on patients’ lives and the broader landscape of metabolic disease treatment.
