New funding led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital to advance lead candidate JUN_01 for type 2 diabetes and obesity to first-in-human studies
JUN_01 would be the first ever candidate to reprogram metabolism with siRNA, and has demonstrated glucose reduction, insulin sensitization, robust weight loss and dosing once every six months in preclinical studies
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#AI--Junevity, a biotechnology company on a mission to extend lifespan and healthspan with cell reprogramming, raised $10 million in new funding, bringing its Seed financing to a total of $20 million. The new funding, led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital, enables Junevity to advance the company’s lead siRNA (silencing RNA) program for type 2 diabetes and obesity, JUN_01, through IND-enabling and initial clinical studies. The founders of Junevity were the first to demonstrate that repressing a single transcription factor can reprogram cell state to health in human cell models.
“JUN_01 offers a unique and promising combination of improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss, with dosing every six months. This profile could fill an important need for effective and tolerable long-term diabetes and weight management either alone or in combination with GLP-1s,” said John Bamforth, PhD, the former chief marketing officer at Eli Lilly and advisor to Junevity.
As demonstrated in preclinical studies, Junevity’s JUN_01 is the first known candidate to reprogram metabolism to a healthier, younger state. The effects include reduced blood glucose, improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss and maintenance of lean mass, all with the infrequent dosing and safety benefits enabled by siRNA. JUN_01 engages a novel, confidential target identified from the Junevity RESET platform, human disease data and genetic linkages. This target is implicated as a principal regulator of chronic metabolic dysfunction, insulin signaling and appetite. Preclinical models suggest best-in-class efficacy potential, low side effects, dosing once every six months and resistance to weight bounce back after treatment is ended. JUN_01 is promising as a monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1s and could enable lower or less frequent doses of GLP-1s. First-in-human trials are expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
“JUN_01 is a next-generation siRNA candidate for type 2 diabetes and obesity and the first cell reprogramming candidate with siRNA for metabolism. By reprogramming metabolic tissue to a healthy state, we see profound and durable benefits beyond today’s standard of care. We look forward to bringing this to patients in our initial clinical studies,” said John Hoekman, co-founder & CEO of Junevity. Dr. Hoekman previously co-founded Impel Pharmaceuticals, taking his PhD invention at University of Washington to FDA approval of Trudhesa® for acute migraine.
The Junevity RESET platform is based on exclusively licensed research by co-founder Dr. Janine Sengstack at the University of California at San Francisco. RESET uses omics, genetic linkages, ML/AI and siRNA to unlock novel cell reprogramming targets for therapeutic development. Previously “undruggable,” this technology enables targeting of transcription factors, which are master regulatory genes. Dr. Sengstack’s breakthrough research led to the founding of Junevity to bring siRNA reprogramming therapeutics to patients.
The company is growing its initial pipeline of siRNA candidates in metabolism and neurodegeneration. Junevity’s long-term vision is to develop siRNA reprogramming for all major tissues implicated in complex disease.
About Junevity
Junevity is a biotechnology company developing cell reprogramming therapeutics with siRNA. The Junevity RESET platform is the first to use human disease omics, genetic linkages and ML/AI to identify novel transcription factor targets and repress them with siRNA therapeutics. Initial programs are in metabolism and neurodegeneration. Based in San Francisco and founded out of UCSF in 2023, Junevity’s mission is to increase lifespan and healthspan. Learn more at junevity.com.
Contacts
Media:
Tim Ingersoll
Linnden Communications
tim@linndencom.com
