Elevian – Reimagine Aging
Elevian is a Harvard spin-out developing new medicines that target aging. These drugs have the potential to treat and prevent many age-related diseases at the same time and extend healthy longevity.
Groundbreaking research by Elevian’s scientific founders has demonstrated that older animals, when transfused with the blood of young animals, experience regeneration across many tissues and organs. The opposite is also true: young animals, when transfused with the blood of older animals, experience accelerated aging. Elevian’s founders identified specific circulating factors that may be responsible for these effects.
One example, a naturally occurring circulating protein known as “growth differentiation factor 11” (“GDF11”), when injected into aged mice, reproduces many of the regenerative effects of young blood. GDF11 supplementation, in preclinical models, promotes recovery after stroke, repairs heart disease, accelerates skeletal muscle repair, improves exercise capacity, and improves metabolism. Elevian’s founder’s discoveries are published in leading journals and were recognized by Science as a global top 10 scientific breakthrough.
Elevian is developing therapeutics that regulate GDF11 and other circulating factors, in order to restore the body’s natural regenerative capacity, which addresses a root cause of age-related diseases. The company has acquired exclusive worldwide license rights under a portfolio of multiple patent families from Harvard University, based on the research activities of its scientific founders who lead labs at Harvard, and on the research activities of others as well.
Elevian is initially seeking regulatory approval to treat ischemic stroke, the #2 cause of death and #1 cause of long-term disability globally. In addition to stroke, they have demonstrated preclinical efficacy using GDF11 to treat several additional age-related diseases, which may provide additional human therapeutic applications. And they are working to discover novel molecules that activate similar regenerative pathways.
“By therapeutically targeting a fundamental mechanism of aging, it may be possible to treat and prevent many age-related diseases with a single drug, ” said Mark Allen, MD, Co-founder, CEO.
“Elevian is helping to lead a revolution in longevity. We are proud to support them as investment partners,” said Peter Diamandis, Partner, Bold Capital Partners.
“We are proud to support Elevian,” said Gary Lauder, Managing Partner of Lauder Partners. “While their mission to treat aging is massive, their initial application to treat stroke provides an exciting, potentially accelerated path to market.”
Elevian’s team consists of
prestigious scientists, drug development veterans and serial entrepreneurs. The
company’s founders’ research has been published in leading journals including
Nature, Cell and Science and recognized by the American Association for the Advancement
of Science as a Top Scientific Breakthrough. Elevian’s CEO and Co-Founder Dr.
Mark Allen is a serial entrepreneur and executive, with experience leading
organizations from inception to profitable growth to successful exit. Dr. Allen
has a BS in Applied Physics from Columbia University and an MD from UCLA.
For information, visit www.elevian.com or email IR@elevian.com.
