UK Biopharma Juvenescence Secures $100M Series B Funding to Advance Anti-Aging Therapeutics Pipeline

On August 19, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned via Business Wire that biopharmaceutical company Juvenescence announced the completion of a $100 million Series B financing round. Investors in this round included Grok Ventures and IPGL.

Juvenescence plans to utilize the proceeds from this financing round to drive corporate growth, recruit specialized talent in drug development, and continue the development of anti-aging therapeutics.

It is reported that Juvenescence has completed five rounds of financing, raising a total of $210 million. Among these, the company closed its $46 million Series B round in January 2019 and its $50 million Series A round in June 2018.

Juvenescence, founded in 2016 and headquartered in the Isle of Man, UK, is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. Co-founded by life sciences experts Jim Mellon, Dr. Greg Bailey, and Dr. Declan Doogan, the company is dedicated to exploring innovative therapies aimed at extending human lifespan and maintaining physiological health. Juvenescence also boasts a team of experienced drug development professionals and artificial intelligence specialists, primarily leveraging cutting-edge technologies to treat age-related diseases.

The scientific community has currently deconstructed the human aging process into a series of individual dysfunctional processes and investigated the primary drivers of aging. Researchers can delay, halt, or even reverse the aging process through corresponding interventions.

Juvenescence believes that the human body often develops many chronic diseases with age, and delaying aging is the ultimate goal of preventive care. The company has developed 12 candidate therapeutic drugs targeting aging, which are broadly applicable to age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disorders, certain cancers, and dementia.

Juvenescence has developed a diverse portfolio of therapies based on the mechanisms of organismal aging, including slowing cellular senescence, mitigating and reversing neurodegeneration, eliminating senescent cells, replacing aged organs, and editing patient genes.

In addition, Juvenescence has invested in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies researching age-related diseases, such as Souvien Therapeutics, BYOMass, BHB Therapeutics, and AgeX Therapeutics. Senior executives at Juvenescence stated that rapid advancements in science and medicine will facilitate the development of new therapies to safeguard health and extend human lifespan. In today’s world, increased longevity will have a profound impact on multiple societal sectors, including healthcare, education, and insurance.

Dr. Greg Bailey stated, “We aim to leverage advanced machine learning for drug development, and this financing will undoubtedly help Juvenescence expand its drug R&D team, enabling us to reach a new level in the healthcare sector.”

Jim Mellon stated, “We have recruited a cohort of top-tier talent from around the globe to further propel the company’s growth and improve human life. Currently, Juvenescence is collaborating with world-class scientists and research institutions to jointly develop anti-aging therapeutics.”

Grok Ventures, headquartered in New South Wales, Australia, is a private venture capital firm. The company has invested in rapidly growing technology enterprises such as August Robotics, Culture Amp, and Dgraph.

Headquartered in London, UK, IPGL is a private investment company. Led by British entrepreneur Michael Spencer, the firm primarily invests in technology and innovation-driven enterprises.

(Compiled by: Xu Xiaoxue)