Juvena Therapeutics has announced a research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to discover biologic therapeutics for muscle regeneration using Juvena’s AI-enabled platform. The South San Francisco-based company said the partnership aims to identify new drug candidates that promote muscle health, with potential applications in age-related and genetic muscle-wasting diseases.
Under the agreement, Juvena will receive up to $43 million in upfront and milestone payments, including an undisclosed upfront payment, research support, and preclinical milestones. The company also said it is eligible for over $400 million in potential development and commercialization milestones, as well as tiered royalties on future product sales.
Juvena claims its drug discovery platform, JuveNet, combines high-throughput screening of secreted proteins with machine learning to identify tissue-regenerative biologics. The company said the collaboration with Lilly will focus on accelerating drug discovery in areas of high unmet need, particularly muscle atrophy and degeneration.
“This collaboration validates the power and potential of JuveNet,” said Dr. Hanadie Yousef, co-founder and CEO of Juvena Therapeutics. She added that the partnership will help “translate cutting-edge science into impactful medicines for patients suffering from debilitating muscle diseases.”
Lilly will lead preclinical and clinical development for any biologics that emerge from the partnership. The company said it remains committed to expanding its biologics pipeline in areas such as musculoskeletal health and regeneration.
