Companies to collaborate on new Abu Dhabi drug development hub with a focus on therapeutics designed to ‘extend healthy lifespan.’
Longevity biotech Juvenescence today announced the first close of its Series B-1 financing round, securing $76 million to support the continued development of its AI-driven clinical pipeline focused on age-related diseases. The round was led by M42, a tech-enabled healthcare company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with additional participation from existing investors. The full close of the financing round is expected in the third quarter of this year, with the company reportedly aiming to raise more than $150 million in total.
The new funding will enable Juvenescence to push forward its portfolio of therapeutics into further stages of clinical development and generate key data from ongoing trials. With a focus on addressing the biological mechanisms of aging to treat and prevent associated diseases, the company’s development programs span cognition, cardio-metabolism, immunity and cellular repair, boasting a pipeline including a number of clinical and near-clinical stage candidates.
Last month at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, Juvenescence revealed it had entered into a strategic partnership with M42 to collaboratively develop AI-enabled therapeutics targeting aging and other life-threatening diseases. Along with today’s funding news, more details on the strategic partnership between the two companies emerged, including a collaboration on a new AI-enabled drug development hub in Abu Dhabi, combining M42’s infrastructure and expertise in clinical data, genomics and healthcare delivery with Juvenescence’s drug discovery capabilities to develop therapeutics designed to “extend healthy lifespan.”
Juvenescence CEO Dr Richard Marshall said that the strategic partnership between the companies would accelerate the clinical development of Juvenescence’s pipeline, and hailed the opportunity to “help build a leading life-sciences hub in Abu Dhabi and establish a pipeline of innovative therapeutics that will improve the lives of millions of patients.”
A steering committee made up of senior executives from both organizations will oversee the execution of the new development hub. The partnership aims to discover and develop new therapeutics, while also forging collaborations with academic and research institutions in the UAE and internationally, supporting Abu Dhabi’s broader ambitions in the life sciences sector.
Established through the merger of G42 Healthcare and Mubadala Health, M42 is fast-becoming a major player in global healthcare. The company already employs more than 20,000 people, and operates over 480 facilities across 26 countries, integrating genomics, biobanks, digital health data and AI technologies to deliver predictive, personalized healthcare. Its assets include Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi, as well as initiatives like the Emirati Genome Program and Abu Dhabi BioBank.
“Our partnership with Juvenescence is a crucial step toward redefining healthcare through AI-driven drug discovery and biotechnology,” said Dr Fahed Al Marzooqi, CEO of M42’s Integrated Health Solutions platform. “By uniting AI innovation with biotech expertise, we’re not only advancing the fight against age-related diseases but also building a global ecosystem that empowers prevention, precision and progress, delivering transformative therapies from Abu Dhabi to the world.”
Photograph courtesy of Juvenesence.
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