Juvena Therapeutics and Eli Lilly forge a global licensing and research collaboration leveraging Juvena’s AI-driven JuvNET platform to discover secreted stem-cell proteins that enhance muscle mass and function. Juvena secures upfront funding, equity, and milestone-based payments, while Lilly obtains exclusive rights to develop and commercialize lead candidates targeting frailty and metabolic disorders.
Key points
- Juvena’s JuvNET platform integrates proteomics, multi-omics, imaging, and AI to identify secreted stem-cell proteins.
- The $650 million agreement grants Lilly exclusive development rights and milestone-based payments to Juvena.
- Clinical candidates include JUV-161 for muscle regeneration and JUV-112 for fat breakdown and energy expenditure.
Why it matters: This collaboration harnesses AI-driven proteomics to create novel muscle-regenerative therapies, promising to enhance healthspan by tackling frailty and obesity with precision biologics.
Q&A
- What is the JuvNET platform?
- How do secreted proteins promote muscle health?
- What conditions are targeted by this collaboration?
- What are milestone payments in pharma deals?