Aeovian Pharmaceuticals brings in $37 million in mTOR play
San Francisco-based Aeovian Pharmaceuticals has banked $37 million in Series A financing to launch its mTORC1 inhibitor into a proof-of-concept for what the company says is an undisclosed rare CNS disease.
Linked to a number of aging and nutrient-sensing processes, the mTOR pathway has typically been seen as a rich target for pharmaceutical companies hoping to make inroads in lifespan/healthspan extension. The secrecy behind the ‘undisclosed disease’ is not unusual in a field where research is often painted with the broad brush of ‘age-related diseases.’ Part of Aeovian’s IP comes from the Buck Institute in Novato, California, an independent research institute dedicated solely to studying connections between aging and chronic disease.
The mechanisms behind mTOR — the mammalian target of rapamycin — are not fully understood, but researchers believe it plays key roles in cell metabolism, growth and survival, pointing to a role in tumor formation and type 2 diabetes, among others.
venBio Partners and Sofinnova Investments co-led the round, who joined founding investors Apollo Health Ventures and Evotec SE.
