WEBINAR—BGE-105, Apelin Receptor Agonist for the Prevention of Muscle Aging

April 27, 2022

Watch the webinar on YouTube

BioAge Labs, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, maps human aging to develop a pipeline of therapies that treat disease and extend healthy lifespan. A core focus area is muscle aging, which causes loss of strength, mobility and function; drives multiple age-related diseases; and decreases overall quality of life.

Analysis of our proprietary longitudinal human aging datasets has identified apelin signaling as an attractive therapeutic target for muscle aging. Higher apelin signaling is strongly predictive of improved muscle function, reduced frailty and overall longevity. This webinar will present a detailed review of BGE-105—an agonist of the apelin receptor APJ— from initial target identification through preclinical validation and clinical development. BGE-105 development will target acute muscle atrophy and chronic muscle loss, and improve healthspan.

Speakers

Kristen Fortney, PhD, is a cofounder and the chief executive officer of BioAge. She leads the company in its mission to develop a broad pipeline of therapies that target aging to increase healthspan and address chronic diseases. Fortney draws from a deep background in aging research and systems biology to develop BioAge’s data-driven approach to identify and target the molecular pathways that drive aging. Kristen received her PhD in medical biophysics from the University of Toronto in Canada, followed by postdoctoral training at Stanford University in California, where she was a fellow of the Ellison Medical Foundation / American Federation for Aging Research. She has more than 10 years of experience developing novel bioinformatics approaches for data-driven investigation into the mechanisms of aging and age-related disease. Fortney has published multiple papers spanning computational drug discovery, biomarkers of aging and the genetics of exceptional human longevity.

Patrick Martin, MD, is senior vice president of clinical science at BioAge. He has more than 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotech development experience across all phases, specializing in early development, clinical pharmacology & pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Martin received his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his MD from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He completed his residency training in pediatrics at Northwestern University Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications.

Robert Hughes, PhD, vice president of biochemistry leads BioAge’s biochemistry efforts, including laboratory development and testing of biologics to influence aging-related pathways. Hughes completed a PhD in Biology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he studied the structural biophysics and enzymology of protein-nucleic acid interactions. While on fellowships at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Washington, Hughes studied protein structure using NMR spectroscopy in the Department of Biochemistry and the genetics and protein network biology of yeast in the Department of Genome Sciences before transitioning to industry.

Justin Rebo, MD, senior vice president of translational aging biology, leads BioAge’s internal in vivo platform to test novel drug targets in models of aging and regeneration. He has more than 12 years of experience developing and inventing in vivo systems in academia and industry to probe mechanisms of aging and disease. Rebo has also cofounded three biotechnology companies and has filed multiple patent applications in senescent cell removal, immunology and regenerative medicine. He received his MD/MSc from St. George’s University School of Medicine in the West Indies.
 

Carrie Furr, PhD, RAC, is senior vice president of Regulatory Affairs at BioAge. She works collaboratively with pharma companies at various stages of development and for a broad range of indications. Prior to joining BioAge Labs, she held leadership and operational roles in regulatory affairs, program management and medical writing. Furr is also a scientific advisor for global non-profit partnership; non-dilutive funding company CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) and is an editor of the peer-reviewed, scientific journal PHAGE Therapy, Applications and Research. She earned a PhD from Texas A&M University Department Biochemistry and Biophysics.

Paul Rubin, MD, chief medical officer of BioAge, leads the clinical development of the company’s pipeline of therapies that target aging. Rubin is an experienced pharma and biotech executive with extensive experience in small molecules, biologics and oligonucleotide therapeutics and has advanced dozens of compounds from discovery through approval. He has worked in multiple therapeutic areas where he was intimately involved with discovery, preclinical and clinical development, regulatory and marketing. Rubin received a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and his MD from Rush Medical College in Chicago. He is board certified in internal medicine completing his postgraduate training at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.