Combining synthetic biology and AI, company seeks to modulate key cellular processes to combat age-related diseases and promote healthy aging.
Silicon Valley biotech Integrated Biosciences has secured $17.2 million in seed financing to accelerate the development of therapeutics for age-related diseases. The funding round was led by Sutter Hill Ventures, with participation from Lifespan Vision Ventures, Root Ventures, Civilization Ventures, Illumina Ventures Labs and several others.
Founded in 2022, Integrated Bio combines synthetic biology and artificial intelligence to target cellular stress responses linked to conditions such as neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes and osteoarthritis. These cellular processes, when disrupted by age, contribute to a wide range of diseases, and the Redwood City-based company aims to modulate them through small-molecule therapeutics, ultimately promoting healthier aging.
“We started Integrated Biosciences to make real progress toward achieving healthier human aging,” said the company’s co-founder Dr Felix Wong. “The new capital will significantly advance our efforts toward this ambitious goal by enabling us to scale up our synthetic biology and AI platform while investing in the clinical development of our small-molecule portfolio.”
Integrated Bio’s approach focuses on controlling and analyzing cellular behaviors through synthetic biology and optogenetics, gathering precise data on different phenotypes. Using this data, the company applies machine learning to identify novel drug candidates. The company claims its combination of cutting-edge technologies enables the rapid discovery of small molecules that modulate stress responses in ways that were previously unattainable. Last year, the company revealed it had made the first AI-driven discovery of a new class of antibiotics and is now focused on building a preclinical-stage portfolio aimed at addressing various age-related diseases.
“Drug discovery is broken, and we are here to fix it,” said Integrated Bio co-founder Dr Max Wilson. “Our synthetic biology platform gives us access to the purest stress responses, that alongside our chemistry and AI platforms allows us to rapidly produce small molecule leads that modulate these stress responses in novel ways.”
“What this means is that we can get more selective, structurally unique drug candidates faster by years, significantly increasing the efficiency of drug candidate development. Our track record already proves this. Looking ahead, we envision a future where targeting aging is tractable and age-related diseases are eradicated.”
The newly raised funds will be used to expand Integrated Biosciences’ drug pipeline and further develop its synthetic biology and AI platforms. By focusing on the cellular mechanisms that underlie aging, the company hopes to address a wide range of diseases with broad applicability. It operates on a multi-asset business model, developing multiple drug candidates that may either be advanced by the company itself or through partnerships. The diversified strategy aims to maximize the potential impact of its discoveries, allowing for faster progress toward clinical testing.
“We’re taking a less-trodden approach to drug discovery and development, with the goal of developing multiple drug candidates where each can bring substantial value,” said Dr Satotaka Omori, who leads the company’s aging biology team. “This type of diversified approach fully leverages our ability to phenotypically target different age-related pathways. The industry should take note, because we move fast.”
Integrated Bio revealed that its Scientific Advisory Board, chaired by Prof. James J. Collins of MIT and including Nobel laureate Sir David W C MacMillan, has been bolstered by the addition of Dr Karl Sylvester, Dr Uri Alon and Dr Wendy B. Young as new advisors, bringing with them decades of experience in medical research, systems biology and drug discovery. The company has also inked several strategic partnerships, including a previously announced collaboration with Illumina Ventures Labs.
