First patients dosed with novel NAD+ precursor designed for the treatment of age-related diseases, including chronic kidney disease.
Longevity drug developer MetroBiotech this week initiated dosing of the first patients in a Phase 1a clinical trial of a new NAD+ booster drug candidate thought to have potential in the treatment or prevention of age-related diseases. Founded by aging researchers Dr David Sinclair and Dr Rajendra Apte, the company aims to address the underlying biological mechanisms of aging by restoring NAD+ levels, a critical cofactor for energy metabolism and DNA repair that declines with age.
MetroBiotech is focused on developing tissue-selective NAD+ precursors that can rejuvenate cellular function across a spectrum of age-related conditions. Its latest drug candidate, MIB-725, is only described as a “potent NAD precursor” designed to enhance NAD+ levels through a unique biosynthetic pathway that differs from other known boosters, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NMN).
Interestingly, MetroBiotech’s lead compound, MIB-626, is a proprietary formulation of NMN and is already in several clinical trials. The company’s research of NMN as a drug was apparently a catalyst for the FDA’s decision in 2022 that NMN could no longer be sold as a dietary supplement in the US.
In the new trial, MIB-725 is being evaluated for safety, pharmacokinetics, metabolism and its effect on circulating NAD+ levels in healthy volunteers. According to MetroBiotech, the first four of eight participants have now received their initial doses without encountering dose-limiting toxicities. Pending successful completion of the initial trial, a follow-up Phase 1b study with multiple dosing is planned, and the company says that subsequent trials will potentially focus on the treatment of chronic kidney disease associated with aging.
“Commencement of Phase 1 testing of our novel NAD booster is a key step in our vision of developing the potential of a family of NAD precursor compounds optimized for particular therapeutic indications,” said MetroBiotech’s chief scientific officer Dr David Livingston. “We believe this trial will inform the compound expansion stage of our ongoing clinical trials and may allow us to obtain initial evidence of clinical activity as the program continues to advance.”
Headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, MetroBiotech is part of the EdenRoc Sciences group, which also includes multiomics tools company Cantata Bio. The company says its preclinical studies showed that MIB-725 elevates NAD+ levels and potential to deliver therapeutic benefits across a range of diseases, including suppression of pancreatitis, acute kidney injury and rare mitochondrial disease-associated cardiovascular function.
