Junevity, a pioneering biotechnology company with the ambitious mission of extending human healthspan through advanced cell reprogramming, today announced it has successfully expanded its Seed financing to a total of $20 million with an additional $10 million investment. The new capital was jointly led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital, providing the runway necessary to advance its lead candidate, JUN_01, toward initial clinical studies.
JUN_01 is a next-generation short interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic targeting Type 2 diabetes and obesity. It represents the first-ever candidate designed to reprogram metabolism to a healthier state using siRNA. Preclinical data has demonstrated a highly promising therapeutic profile, including robust glucose reduction, insulin sensitization, and significant weight loss, all enabled by a remarkably infrequent dosing schedule of just once every six months.
The founders of Junevity are recognized for being the first to demonstrate that silencing a single transcription factor can effectively reprogram a cell state back to health in human models.
āJUN_01 is a next-generation siRNA candidate for type 2 diabetes and obesity and the first cell reprogramming candidate with siRNA for metabolism,ā stated John Hoekman, co-founder and CEO of Junevity. Dr. Hoekman brings significant prior experience, having previously co-founded Impel Pharmaceuticals and taken his PhD invention to FDA approval.
The candidate’s unique profile is generating considerable interest. John Bamforth, PhD, the former chief marketing officer at Eli Lilly and an advisor to Junevity, commented, āJUN_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.ā
The Junevity RESET Platform: Targeting the Undruggable
The foundation of Junevity’s pipeline is the proprietary RESET platform, a technology based on research exclusively licensed from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Co-founder Dr. Janine Sengstack’s breakthrough work utilized omics, genetic linkages, and Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI) to identify novel, principal regulators of chronic metabolic dysfunction that were previously considered “undruggable.”
These targets are transcription factors, which are master regulatory genes. By repressing them with siRNA, Junevity aims to reprogram metabolic tissue to a healthier, younger state, providing profound and durable benefits. Preclinical data on JUN_01 suggests best-in-class efficacy, low side effects, and, significantly, resistance to the common problem of weight regain after treatment cessation.
Dr. Hoekman added, “By reprogramming metabolic tissue to a healthy state, we see profound and durable benefits beyond todayās standard of care. We look forward to bringing this to patients in our initial clinical studies,ā which are expected to commence in the second half of 2026. Junevity is also developing additional siRNA candidates in neurodegeneration, underscoring its long-term vision to use cell reprogramming for all major complex diseases.
Editorial Opinion: The Strategic Promise of Metabolic Reprogramming
The expansion of Junevity’s Seed round to $20 million is a powerful validation of the growing convergence between longevity research and mainstream therapeutic development, particularly in the massive metabolic disease market. The true disruptive potential of Junevity lies in its mechanism of action: cell reprogramming through targeted siRNA. While current diabetes and obesity treatments often manage symptoms or hormonal signaling (like GLP-1s), Junevity is aiming for a fundamental reset of the underlying metabolic state. This shift from chronic management to reprogramming is a leap in therapeutic philosophy.
Furthermore, the choice of siRNA as a modality is highly strategic. siRNA allows for the effective silencing of traditionally hard-to-target genes like transcription factors, which are master regulators of complex diseases. The promise of a once-every-six-months dosing schedule, coupled with preclinical data showing low side effects and maintenance of lean mass, suggests JUN_01 could offer a critical advantage over daily or weekly injectables. This profile not only positions Junevity as a significant player in the obesity spaceāpotentially as a complementary therapy to GLP-1sābut also establishes their RESET platform as a versatile engine for tackling other age-related diseases like neurodegeneration, promising durable solutions rooted in correcting cellular dysfunction. This is a crucial step towards realizing the promise of extending healthspan itself.
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