A brief overview of the Kitalys Institute, which hosts the 'healthy longevity for all' community and resources for education, collaboration, and silo busting. 

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Conference Co-Anchors: 
Alexander Fleming, MD, Founder and President, Kitalys Institute, Executive Chairman, Kinexum 
Thomas Seoh, JD, EVP, Kitalys Institute, CEO, Kinexum

Pepper Landson, Founder and CEO, Praetego
Phil Newman, CEO & Founder of Longevity.Technology
Dennis Purcell, Founder of Aisling Capital LLC

Thomas Seoh, JD, EVP, Kitalys Institute, CEO, Kinexum

9:30-10:00 | Cambrian Biopharma | Mark Nuttall, EVP Business Development

Cambrian BioPharma is building the medicines that will redefine healthcare in the 21st century – therapeutics to lengthen healthspan, the period of life spent in good health.

As a Distributed Development Company, Cambrian is advancing multiple scientific breakthroughs each targeting a biological driver of aging. Its approach is to develop interventions that treat specific diseases first, then deploy them as preventative medicines to improve overall quality of life during aging. To date, Cambrian has more than a dozen novel therapeutics in development across its pipeline. For more information, please visit www.cambrianbio.com or follow us on Twitter @CambrianBio and LinkedIn.

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10:00-10:30 | Amazentis SA | Anurag Singh, PhD, CMO
Amazentis is an innovative life science company dedicated to employing breakthrough research and clinical science to bring advanced therapeutic nutrition products to life.

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10:30-11:00 | Life Biosciences | Jerry McLaughlin, PhD, CEO

Contrary to popular belief, aging is not caused by random wear and tear but instead is caused by a discrete set of biological mechanisms that can be targeted therapeutically.

We are pursuing a platform approach to develop therapeutics that can prevent, treat, and/or reverse multiple aging-related conditions. Each of our platforms is based on groundbreaking science from world-class researchers. We have exclusive licenses with leading academic institutions underpinned by strong composition-of-matter and method-of-use patents. We plan to initiate first-in-human studies for our first drug candidate in 2023.

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11:00-11:30 | Viome | Guru Banavar, CTO

Our mission is to digitize, decode, and decipher human biology for the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases and cancer.

We are challenging the current medical-healthcare industrial paradigm that addresses how molecular phenomena are driving illness and disease.

Through the lens of a systems biology approach, we view health as a dynamic interplay between microbial and human gene expression.

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11:30-12:00 | Insilico Medicine | Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, CEO
Insilico Medicine, a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, is connecting biology, chemistry, and clinical trials analysis using next-generation AI systems. The company has developed AI platforms that utilize deep generative models, reinforcement learning, transformers, and other modern machine learning techniques to discover novel targets and to design novel molecular structures with desired properties. Since 2021, Insilico has developed a growing portfolio in frontier areas including fibrosis, immunity, central nervous system (CNS) diseases and aging-related diseases empowered by its proprietary AI platform. Seven programs in its internal pipeline have progressed to the IND-enabling stage. It also successfully entered a Phase I clinical trial with its first AI-driven program targeting fibrosis.

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12:00-12:45 | Lunch

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12:45-1:00 | Cleara |  P.L.J. de (Peter) Keizer, PhD, Managing Director

Cleara is a biopharmaceutical R&D company dedicated to discovery and development of therapies against cancer and chronic diseases through selective elimination of subtypes of cellular senescence

Through detailed understanding of the molecular and biological pathways that underlie these individual pathological phenotypes, we set up disruptive, innovative and proprietary platform technology to design and optimize (peptide-based) therapeutics that exploit their weak spots for safe and selective clearance. Cleara’s lead FOXO4 program is focused on generation of disruptive and proprietary technology against “scarred” cellular senescence for treatment of metastatic, mutant-p53 cancer.

Senescent cells are associated with a range of chronic diseases and cancer progression. However, Cleara acknowledges that there are different kinds of senescence. We do not focus on “magic bullets” to kill all senescent cells but develop specific and safe compounds against unique subtypes. Cleara’s goal is to progress these into clinical development with the intent of precision medicine against specific diseases with clear niche-directed anti-senescence lead candidates, with associated biomarkers, around its FOXO4-based D-amino acid pipeline.

 Cleara is a private, Netherlands-based biotech company, tied with the University Medical Center Utrecht. Our scientific founders discovered that senescent cells impair tissue function and promote cancer metastases in mice (Cell, 2017; Cancer Discovery, 2016). Since then, we identified that what is called senescence is actually a collection of different phenotypes.

Cleara set up a platform that utilizes knowledge to design and optimize compounds against specific subtypes of senescence, thereby allowing for precise elimination of these in respective diseases.

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1:00-1:15 | AdipoPharma | Vincent Marion, CEO
 

Harnessing the power of the Adipocyte for treatment of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes

and associated comorbidities.

AdipoPharma SAS is committed to understanding the role of the adipocytes in diabetes via

their unique effect on lipid biosynthesis and management of whole-body lipid homeostasis.

The company was created to commercialize the work of its founder Dr. Vincent Marion PhD,

Msc, Biochemist and researcher at INSERM, the French National Institute for Health and

Medical Research. Dr. Marion’s team has spent more than a decade identifying therapeutic

targets based on the adipocyte’s specific role in the metabolic effects of insulin resistance

and diabetes. This work began by the detailed genetic investigation of Alstrom syndrome, an

ultra-rare devastating disease characterized by severe insulin resistance, early onset type 2

diabetes and associated metabolic dysfunctions. This led to the development of a detailed

analysis of the adipocyte’s complex function, its intrinsic lipid modulating effects and a

proprietary targeted approach to treatment. The result is AdipoPharma’s innovative first-inclass

therapeutic peptide “PATAS”, the first Adipeutic drug currently being developed for

clinical trials. This safe and novel therapeutic approach has been shown to restore healthy

lipid biosynthesis in the diseased adipocyte leading to reduction of nasty lipids like

ceramides. PATAS is set to be the first anti-diabetic drug to have a significant beneficial

effect on insulin resistance, beta cell plaque removal, liver steatosis and fibrosis and

ceramides, the leading cause of cardiovascular dysfunction in diabetes.

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1:15-1:30 | Cerecin | Marc Cantillon, MD, CMO

A healthcare company with almost 20 years of innovation and leadership in brain health.

We develop novel evidence-based therapeutics and products that aim to help millions of people. These solutions are designed to target conditions ranging from memory impairment to Alzheimer’s disease and other devastating neurological diseases.

Cerecin is a global company headquartered in Singapore and the USA and our therapies are developed for persons around the world.

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1:30-2:00 | VitaDao | Tim Peterson, PhD, Head of Research Portfolio | Laurence Ion, PhD, Longevity Dealflow Steward

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VitaDAO is a decentralized collective funding longevity research & drug discovery.

"We fund early-stage research and spin out assets and newcos with industry partners and VCs.
 

Members join VitaDAO by purchasing VITA tokens or earning them through contributions of work or intellectual property.
 

We are a rapidly scaling collaborative network of expertise -- our goal is to change how science is funded and translated into new medicines"
 

2:00-2:15 | ImmuneAGE Pharma | Sebastian Brunemeier, CEO & Founder of ImmuneAGE Pharma and Co-Founder of Healthspan Capital
 

ImmuneAGE Pharma is a drug discovery platform for immune system rejuvenation. The company is focused on ex vivo and in vivo rejuvenation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with labs in Oxford and Switzerland. 
 

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2:15-2:30 | Elevian | Mark Allen, PhD, CEO

At Elevian, we are developing new medicines that promote recovery and regeneration.

Our lead program is a recombinant protein for the treatment of stroke in the days following the event, for which there are currently no viable treatments.

By promoting regeneration, Elevian’s medicines have the potential to treat and prevent many aging-associated diseases.

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2:30-2:45 | Oviva Therapeutics | Daisy Robinton, PhD, CEO & Co-Founder
Oviva is a premier biotech company developing first-in-class therapeutics to improve ovarian function and consequently extend female healthspan. Oviva is leading a movement to improve women’s experiences of aging through biomedical research, clinical development and advocacy. While driving tangible progress through therapeutics programs, Oviva is engaging with scientists, clinicians, policy makers and the general public to elevate, and equalize, the conversation around women’s health. In bringing together stakeholders across disciplines, we are inviting diverse perspectives and skill sets to drive innovation and progress in this space.

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2:45-3:00 | Deciduous Therapeutics | Anil Bhushan, PhD, Professor, University of California, San Francisco & Scientific Founder of Deciduous Therapeutics

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Deciduous Therapeutics aims to positively impact human health span through the development of novel medicines that activate the endogenous immune mechanism responsible for the elimination of senescent cells.
 

Senescent cells, which are characterized by irreversible damage and an inflammatory secretome, are considered a key driving force behind many age-related diseases. Due to a failure in immune surveillance, senescent cells accumulate and impact their local environment by inducing inflammation and promoting extracellular matrix remodeling, thus resulting in a myriad of metabolic and fibrotic consequences. Therefore, enabling the removal of senescent cells dramatically ameliorates disease pathologies in many age-related diseases, leading to overall improvements in health-span.
 

At Deciduous Therapeutics, we have discovered novel molecules that can activate a critical endogenous immune surveillance mechanism to selectively remove senescent cells and thereby treat several classes of age-related diseases.

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3:00-3:15 | Enterin | Michael Zasloff, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, CSO, and Board Member/Denise Barbut, MD, FRCP, Co-Founder, President, CMO, and Board Member

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering novel treatments that target the gut-brain axis and modify the course of neurodegenerative disorders. Our research has aided the scientific community in understanding the link between infection and the role of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in immune defense. As a result of repeated insults to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), neural communication between the ENS and the central nervous system (CNS) is progressively impaired. Our work has clarified the relationship between immune defense, the ageing process, and progression of neurodegeneration.

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We are now leveraging these years of research to become the first company in the world to develop pharmacologic interventions that repair the ENS and the dysfunctional gut-brain axis in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Our lead compound, ENT-01, displaces membrane-bound alpha-synuclein (αS) aggregates from enteric nerve cells and improves neural signaling between the gut and the brain as demonstrated in animal models of Parkinson’s Disease. In clinical trials involving patients with Parkinson’s Disease, we have shown improvement in non-motor symptoms, such as hallucinations, dementia, sleep/Rem Behavior Disorder and constipation, as well as improvement in motor symptoms. Unexpectedly, we found dose-dependent normalization of circadian rhythm, which is intimately linked to sleep, dementia, and hallucinations. Our second compound, ENT-03, reverses central insulin resistance and is being developed for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Our long-term vision is that these discoveries and our ongoing research will help us understand how to delay the ageing process, prevent neurodegeneration, and eventually prolong the lifespan of patients with these diseases.

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3:15-3:30 | Pano Therapeutics | Ben Gibson, CEO, Francesca Fieni, PhD, CSO/Co-Founder, Ken Batchelor, PhD, Head of Research & Development
Pano is a drug discovery and development platform company focused on the clinical development of small molecule drugs targeting Mitochondrial Complex I.  Pano was founded on the basis of the discovery of a novel drug target - mtTOB, ‘Mitochondrial Target of Biguanides’ - associated with Mitochondrial Complex I, that enables the first rational drug discovery of biguanides and other classes of Complex I / mtTOB modulators. Pano’s drug discovery and development platform has been designed to generate novel drug candidates with therapeutic efficacy and safety for a range of indications. Pano is initially advancing preclinical assets based upon selected and patented lead compound candidates for rare and high prevalence kidney diseases.

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3:30-3:45 | January AI | Noosheen Hashemi, CEO
Founded by veteran business executive, Noosheen Hashemi, and Director of Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University, Dr. Michael Snyder, January AI is the first "precision health" company to utilize powerful AI technology to predict how a person's body responds to food and activity. January leverages heart rate and glucose data to align a user’s health habits in precisely the way their body needs. However, January remains the only product on the market where a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) is not required after an initial training period; once the user has trained the AI, January will then continue to provide glucose estimates and insights on an ongoing basis, allow a user to predict their glucose curve 2 hours into the future, and see how a specific food or beverage would impact their body before they eat it — all without having to wear a CGM.

 

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3:45-4:00 | Oisin | Matthew Scholz, PhD, CEO
Myth

In Celtic myth, Oisín (sometimes Ossian) was the Gælic warrior-bard of the 7th century who sought the land of youth – a magical island off the western coast of Ireland.  Today Oisín Biotechnologies is working to make the myth a reality.
 

Reality

Oisín Biotechnologies' ground-breaking research and technology is demonstrating that the solution to mitigating the effects of age-related diseases is to address the damage created by the aging process itself.  We invite you to see how.
 

Our First Target - Senescent Cells

When cells detect that they have been irreversibly damaged, they enter a non-dividing condition known as cell-cycle arrest, or senescence.

It’s believed this occurs to prevent cells from going rogue and turning cancerous. Ideally, they should die by the process known as apoptosis, but as we age, more and more frequently they don’t. They become zombie cells – unable to kill themselves or resume normal function.
 

Senescent cells secrete molecules that cause inflammation in an effort to attract immune cells that would usually clear them. But for reasons that are not fully known, as we age, persistently senescent cells accumulate, leading to a vast number of age-related diseases.
 

Oisín is developing a highly precise, patent-pending, DNA-targeted intervention to clear these cells. As a recent study has shown, clearing senescent cells both reduces negative effects of aging pathologies and also extends median lifespan and survival.*

* Baker, Darren J., et al. "Naturally occurring p16Ink4a-positive cells shorten healthy lifespan." Nature 1038.16932 (2016)

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4:00-4:15 | Rivus Pharmaceuticals, Allen Cunningham, President and CEO

Rivus Pharmaceuticals, a leader in mitochondrial biology, is advancing a new class of medicines designed to address a primary driver of cardio-metabolic diseases: obesity.

Harnessing the natural process of mitochondrial uncoupling, Rivus’ Controlled Metabolic Accelerators (CMAs) provide a new, measured approach to reducing fat throughout the body. By doing so, CMAs can reduce the risk of cardio-metabolic disease with the aim of enabling healthier lives for millions.

Addressing a primary driver of cardio-metabolic disease: obesity 

Nearly half of American adults are living with cardio-metabolic diseases. While numerous factors contribute to these diseases, a common thread driving pathology is obesity, the result of excess fat in the body. Associated with an elevated risk of heart failure, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, NAFLD/NASH and other indications, obesity presents an opportunity to target a significant risk factor for cardio-metabolic disease. Newer therapies support weight loss but may also reduce lean muscle mass, which can lead to weight regain and increased cardiovascular risk.

Harnessing a natural metabolic process for fat selective weight loss

Rivus is advancing a new class of therapies called Controlled Metabolic Accelerators (CMAs), designed to selectively reduce excess fat by leveraging mitochondrial uncoupling. Mitochondrial uncoupling is a natural metabolic process that accounts for approximately 20-40% of caloric consumption and significantly contributes to basal metabolic rate. Rivus’ CMAs provide a novel, measured approach to activating this process, reducing fat throughout the body while preserving skeletal muscle mass.

OUR PIPELINE

CMAs have the potential to provide well-tolerated, effective treatments that improve cardio-metabolic health with applicability to a broad range of diseases.

Clinical research demonstrates the potential of Rivus’ lead candidate HU6, a first-in-class CMA, to address a broad range of cardio-metabolic diseases by increasing fat selective weight loss and improving key markers of glycemic control and inflammation. Importantly, no loss of lean muscle mass has been observed, suggesting reduced risk of weight regain and reduced cardiovascular risk.

For its lead program HU6, Rivus Pharmaceuticals has completed Phase 1 clinical studies and a Phase 2a metabolic study. Building on data from the metabolic study, Rivus recently initiated a Phase 2a study in obese participants with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and plans to initiate a Phase 2b study in obesity, including a subset of obese participants with type 2 diabetes in 2023. Rivus is expanding the therapeutic utility of mitochondrial uncoupling with new CMAs targeting a myriad of diseases where preclinical evidence for safe metabolic acceleration is strong and the therapeutic need is great.

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