Longevity Research Momentum Picks Up in Biotech

Last week, biotech news hubs were ablaze with the unexpected departure of Hal Barron, GSK’s R&D chief. In August Barron will take the helm as CEO of Altos Labs, headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded by some of the most influential names in business and biotech, including Jeff Bezos (net worth $200B) and Yuri Milner (worth $4.8B), the company is pursuing rejuvenation therapy, or “reprogramming.”

Reprogramming focuses on the reversal of aging in bodily cells, tissues, and organs. Shinya Yamanaka shared a Nobel Prize in 2012 for the discovery of reprogramming and will chair Altos’ board of scientific advisors (Regalado, 2021). Put simply, using specific instructional proteins Yamanaka figured how to revert cells back to an embryonic state, unaffected by environmental stressors or the effects of aging. Four years later, Yamanaka’s science had revealed mixed results in mice, with some showing signs their tissues had become younger, and others developing embryonic tumors called teratomas (Regalado, 2021).

 
There are numerous obstacles to overcome within the science of reprogramming. However, its potential is so great that the possibility exists for it to completely transform the biopharma industry’s approach to therapeutic intervention. Because Altos’ science looks to reprogram cells, it could theoretically alter or decrease the need for various drug compounds and engineered biologics to treat genetic, cancerous, and chronic diseases. Yamanaka’s provocative studies have shown enough promise to attract some of the biggest names in biotech to its C-suite, a board chock full of Nobel Prize winners, and to launch with the most funding of any biotech start up to date (Kuchler, 2022).

Hal Barron will come on board as CEO in August. He is currently serving as GSK’s CSO and President of R&D and will remain a non-executive board member upon his resignation. Barron has professional connections to Altos co-founders Rick Klausner and Hans Bishop after serving on the board at Juno Therapeutics and GRAIL, now acquired by Celgene and Illumina, respectively. Prior to joining GSK, Barron was President of R&D at Calico, an Alphabet-funded company also working to deepen understanding of the biology that drives aging and age-related diseases and identifying new drug targets based on this knowledge.

Altos’ standout board of directors includes notable academic scientists and Nobel Prize winners Jennifer Doudna, Frances Arnold, and David Baltimore. Combined with VC powerhouse Robert Nelsen, and Head of the Rockefeller Foundation Rajiv Shah among others, Altos houses a visionary team of academic, business, and biotech market expertise.

Robert Nelsen of ARCH Venture Partners said, “Altos is driven by the kind of science whose potential impact keeps you up at night thinking, combined with a biotech ‘dream team’ to find medicines in the science. ARCH is privileged to back Rick, Hal, and Hans with our largest commitment ever.” ARCH is one of several investors who have contributed a record-breaking $3B to the startup.

Altos’ reprogramming agenda may be creating the biggest buzz in biotech now, but aging research and longevity is rapidly evolving in biotech. Research over the past several years has advanced significantly with companies backed by big tech, who are embracing fail fast, recover, and bounce-back methods (Zhavoronkov, 2022).

One of the most exciting developments attesting to the potential of this emerging space is evidenced by the growth of the Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) conference held annually since 2014. Alex Zhavoronkov, expert in AI for healthcare and longevity biotechnology explains “ARDD is intended to bring together leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, leading academics, investors, and startups, while maintaining a very high level of scientific credibility and focusing on the translational potential” (2022).

ARDD’s first conference took place in 2014 and was attended by 70 participants. This past September, attendee numbers exceeded 2,000. Multiple startups and pharma companies sponsored the event, and major academic journals contributed to the conference as well, presenting research which supports the growth of this burgeoning field (Zhavoronkov, 2022).

The biotech executive search consultants at BayBridge are familiar working with clients and candidates in longevity research and possess a wealth of knowledge in this space. We also thoroughly grasp the complexities that exist when forming a team of top talent in emerging areas of research and drug development. We are committed to delivering in processes which require extensive networking, financial management, and the dynamic and agile team members it takes to progress a therapeutic pipeline. If you’re interested in learning more about our Talent Management approach to executive search, please reach out to one of our expert consultants today.

References 

Kuchler, H. (23 January 2022). Altos Labs insist mission to improve lives, not cheat death. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/f3bceaf2-0d2f-4ec7-b767-693bf01f9630

 Regalado, A. (4 September 2021). Meet Altos Labs, Silicon Valley’s latest wild bet on living forever. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/04/1034364/altos-labs-silicon-valleys-jeff-bezos-milner-bet-living-forever/

 Zhavoronkov, A. (3 January 2022). Can the pharmaceutical companies use basic aging technology to develop drugs for age-related diseases? https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexzhavoronkov/2022/01/03/can-the-pharmaceutical-companies-use-basic-aging-biology-to-develop-drugs-for-age-related-diseases/?sh=56dc883a6a48