Startup aims to restore key transcription factors with siRNA therapeutics to reverse cellular dysfunction and combat age-related diseases.
Longevity biotech Junevity has emerged with $10 million in seed funding to advances its work to develop “cell reset” therapies aimed at extending human healthspan and lifespan. The San Francisco-based startup is targeting age-related diseases by leveraging AI and large-scale human data to identify and target transcription factors – genes that regulate cellular health. By restoring these factors to their optimal levels using small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics, Junevity aims to reverse cellular dysfunction and combat diseases linked to aging.
Founded in 2023, the company emerged from research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, and foundational research conducted by co-founder Dr Janine Sengstack. Her work demonstrated that manipulating transcription factors can reverse age-related cellular deterioration. This insight forms the basis of Junevity’s therapeutic strategy, which integrates advances in transcriptomics, AI, and siRNA to develop long-lasting treatments for conditions that collectively affect billions of people worldwide.
“My research at UCSF showed the power of targeting transcription factors to restore aged human cells back to health,” said Sengstack, Chief Scientific Officer at Junevity. “Based on these discoveries, we are bringing forward a new class of cell reset therapeutics for diseases, with the ultimate goal of greater human longevity.”
Junevity is initially focusing on disorders such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity and frailty, conditions that not only reduce quality of life but also accelerate the aging process. The company says its preclinical studies have already shown encouraging results. In diabetic mice, its siRNA therapeutic candidate improved glucose control and insulin sensitivity without causing weight gain or other common side effects of existing treatments. A second candidate targeting obesity enhanced adipose tissue metabolism, reduced food intake and reportedly achieved a 30% reduction in body weight compared with control groups, primarily through fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass.
According to Junevity, its siRNA therapeutics have the potential for long-acting treatment schedules, requiring dosing as infrequently as once every three to twelve months, which the company claims could improve patient compliance and satisfaction.
In addition to Sengstack, Juvenity is led by CEO Dr John Hoekman, who developed the technology behind Impel Pharmaceuticals’ FDA-approved Trudhesa nasal spray, and Chief Operating Officer Rob Cahill, a former machine learning researcher at UCSF, who co-founded performance tool developer Jhana before its acquisition.
Hoekman said that Juvenity was built on a “big idea” with the potential to impact human health by addressing aging at a cellular level.
“We plan to advance multiple clinical programs, both directly and with partners, to make progress against diseases of aging,” he added.
While Junevity’s work aligns with the broader field of longevity research, it emphasizes the importance of addressing specific diseases with well-defined clinical pathways and regulatory frameworks. The company is positioning itself not just as a developer of weight loss drugs but as a pioneer in cellular rejuvenation, with a mission to extend both lifespan and healthspan through targeted genetic interventions.
With the new funding, led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital, Junevity aims to advance its programs toward clinical development, and reportedly hopes to initiate human trials for its first drug as soon as 2026.
“The Junevity team has a novel approach, incredible early data and tremendous potential to treat metabolic and age-related diseases,” said Brent Saunders, CEO and chairman of Bausch + Lomb, who is an advisor to the company.
