Developer of FOXO3 activators initially targets IPF via transcription factor capable of orchestrating changes at ‘multiple biological levels.’
German biotech Refoxy Pharmaceuticals has successfully secured €9.1 million in seed-extension financing to advance its pipeline of FOXO3 therapeutics targeting age-related diseases. This funding will accelerate the preclinical development of the company’s lead program in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and support the expansion of its therapeutic platform to additional indications linked to aging.
Building on decades of scientific research into the genetic and environmental modulators of aging, Refoxy’s approach explores potential of targeting fundamental biological pathways rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatments. The company is pioneering the development of small molecule activators of the FOXO3 transcription factor, a critical regulator in cellular stress responses and longevity, to modulate key aging pathways.
FOXO proteins, particularly FOXO3, have been extensively studied for their role in lifespan regulation and their association with longevity in human populations, including centenarians. These proteins act as transcription factors, orchestrating gene expression to enhance stress resistance, metabolism, and overall organismal health.
Refoxy’s proprietary platform identifies and optimizes molecules that modulate FOXO3 and has already yielded a lead series of compounds with promising therapeutic benefits in preclinical IPF models. By leveraging FOXO3’s ability to regulate multiple biological pathways, the company aims to address the complex pathology of IPF, a chronic and often fatal lung disease affecting around three million individuals worldwide.
With limited treatment options, IPF is characterized by progressive scarring of lung tissue, which severely impairs respiratory function. By modulating a transcription factor that can “orchestrate changes at multiple biological levels”, Refoxy believes it can intervene in progression of the disease.
Claiming to be the first biotech company dedicated to developing FOXO3 activators, Refoxy was founded by Dr Victor Bustos founded alongside Professor Wolfgang Link, a leading expert in FOXO3 biology, with the strategic support of longevity company builder Apollo Health Ventures.
“We are following biology,” says Bustos, CEO of Refoxy. “The evidence that FOXO3 activation can be therapeutically relevant continues to grow, not only in IPF but in multiple chronic disorders. This financing brings us one step closer to leveraging FOXO3 biology for novel therapeutics.”
By addressing the underlying mechanisms of aging, Refoxy says aspires not only to use FOXO3 as a therapeutic target to treat specific diseases like IPF but also to enhance overall healthspan and resilience to age-associated conditions.
The investment round was led by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) and supported by both new and existing investors, including Apollo Health Ventures, NRW.Venture, and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
