Juvena Therapeutics and Lilly Enter Research Collaboration Focused on Muscle Health

Core Insights - Juvena Therapeutics has entered a global licensing and multi-target research collaboration with Eli Lilly to develop drug candidates aimed at improving muscle health and body composition [1][3]. Group 1: Collaboration Details - The collaboration will utilize Juvena's JuvNET platform, which is the first fully integrated AI-enabled screening platform for mapping the therapeutic potential of stem cell-secreted proteins [2][7]. - Juvena will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and potential milestone payments from Lilly, who will have exclusive rights to identified lead candidates and will handle further research and commercialization [3]. Group 2: Company Background - Juvena Therapeutics focuses on unlocking the therapeutic potential of stem-cell secreted proteins for chronic muscle and metabolic diseases through its AI-enabled drug discovery platform [4]. - The company has a pipeline that includes JUV-161, which enhances muscle regeneration, and JUV-112, a preclinical candidate for obesity and metabolic diseases [5][6]. Group 3: Market Context - The collaboration aims to address the global obesity epidemic, which affects one in eight people, by combining Lilly's experience in metabolic diseases with Juvena's expertise in stem-cell proteins [3].