BioAge Labs and Novartis Ink $500M Deal to Tackle Aging-Related Diseases
BioAge Labs, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies targeting the biology of aging, announced a multi-year collaboration with Novartis worth over $500 million. The partnership aims to identify and validate drug targets for treating diseases related to aging by combining BioAge’s proprietary human longevity datasets with Novartis’ expertise in exercise biology and drug discovery.
The announcement comes shortly after BioAge made the decision to discontinue its STRIDES Phase 2 clinical trial of azelaprag for obesity due to liver transaminitis observed in some patients. Meanwhile, BioAge will continue to advance its independent programs, including a brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor targeting neuroinflammation, with an IND submission anticipated in late 2025.
BioAge Labs’ discovery platform is built on decades of longitudinal human aging data, integrating molecular profiles, functional assessments, and health records. Using AI and machine learning, the platform identifies and validates drug targets for aging-related diseases, focusing on metabolic conditions like obesity and cardiovascular disease. It combines human data with preclinical models to ensure translational relevance. The platform’s approach targets pathways that influence both lifespan and healthspan, driving therapeutic discovery to address key challenges in aging biology.
Key Details:
- Financials: BioAge will receive $20 million in upfront payments and research funding, with up to $530 million in milestone payments tied to research, development, and commercialization.
- Focus: The collaboration targets molecular factors underlying healthy aging and the biological benefits of exercise, leveraging BioAge’s platform built on longitudinal human aging data spanning 50 years.
See also: Schrödinger and Novartis Forge Partnership to Scale Computational Drug Discovery
Kristen Fortney, CEO of BioAge Labs
“Our platform, built on extensive longitudinal human longevity data, has allowed us to identify promising therapeutic pathways with significant potential to improve health outcomes. This collaboration with Novartis showcases the value of our platform and expands our capacity to discover and develop novel targets based on the insights from our data.”
Michaela Kneissel, Global Head of DARe at Novartis Biomedical Research
“We are excited to collaborate with BioAge, applying their human longevity data together with our scientific expertise in the biology of physical exercise to discover novel therapeutic targets. By exploring the intersection of human aging biology and the drivers of physical exercise benefits, we aim to develop new treatment options for age-related diseases.”
Peng Leong, Chief Business Officer at BioAge
“The collaboration between Novartis and BioAge underscores the growing recognition that unraveling the biology of aging is a powerful approach to treating disease. This partnership represents a significant opportunity to accelerate the development of transformative therapies targeting novel mechanisms identified by our platform.”
Cover photo: View from Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline in Richmond, California, United States. By ; BioAge Labs is headquartered in Richmond, CA.
Topics: Startups & Deals
