What Telomir Pharmaceuticals does

Telomir Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics that modulate intracellular metal homeostasis to treat cancer and age-related disease. Its lead candidate, Telomir-1 (also referred to as Telomir-Zn), is designed to restore epigenetic regulation by redistributing zinc and iron within cells — increasing intracellular zinc while reducing redox-active ferrous iron — without relying on cytotoxic mechanisms. The lead program received FDA IND clearance in April 2026 for advanced and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, with first-in-human Phase 1/2 trials planned for 1H 2026 at a leading U.S. academic medical center. Preclinical data also supports indications in Type 2 diabetes, Wilson's disease, prostate cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and age-related conditions including progeria and osteoarthritis, with the secondary Telomir-Ag2 program targeting drug-resistant bacterial infections.

The company is pre-revenue with no commercial products or pricing in place. Its business model is a standard clinical-stage biotech pathway: develop Telomir-Zn through Phase 1/2 trials, pursue eventual commercialization upon regulatory approval, and consider licensing, co-development partnerships, and milestone payments from larger pharmaceutical partners as supplementary revenue streams. Capital sources disclosed include a $5M non-dilutive credit line from The Starwood Trust (undrawn as of December 2024), a $1M common stock investment from the same investor at $7 per share, and up to $5M in milestone-tied funding from Bayshore Trust tied to the TELI Pharmaceuticals acquisition and FDA milestones. Operations are funded but limited: headcount is reported at 1-10, the full-time CFO has been replaced by a fractional CFO, and stock has declined 44%-72% across reporting windows. Global IP rights were consolidated through the March 2026 stock-for-stock acquisition of TELI Pharmaceuticals, and the company trades on NASDAQ under ticker TELO following a February 2024 IPO and Russell 3000 inclusion in July 2024.

Name

Telomir Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Website

https://telomirpharma.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Telomir Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class metal-modulating small-molecule therapeutics, with lead candidate Telomir-Zn cleared by the FDA in April 2026 for a Phase 1/2 trial in triple-negative breast cancer. Pre-revenue, pre-commercial, and publicly traded on NASDAQ as TELO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical-Stage Oncology Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Endocrinology & Reproductive Health Pharmaceuticals (incl. Women’s Health) (HLAIAAAJ)

Keywords

• Epigenetic small molecules
• Metal homeostasis therapeutics
• Oncology drug development
• Clinical stage biotechnology
• Telomere biology

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Drug Development and Commercialization: Telomir Pharmaceuticals is a preclinical/clinical-stage biotechnology company with no commercial revenue. The company is developing Telomir-1 (Telomir-Zn) as an orally-dosed small molecule therapeutic targeting multiple age-related diseases and cancers. Revenue will be generated through eventual drug commercialization upon regulatory approval, with potential licensing, co-development partnerships, and milestone payments from larger pharmaceutical partners as additional pathways.
2. Non-Dilutive Financing: The company has accessed non-dilutive capital through a $5 million credit line from The Starwood Trust, and raised $1 million through a common stock transaction at $7 per share. Potential milestone-based contributions of up to $4 million from Bayshore Trust are tied to FDA IND acceptance and Phase 1/2 trial initiation following the TELI Pharmaceuticals acquisition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Telomir Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics that modulate intracellular metal homeostasis to address cancer and age-related diseases. Its lead candidate, Telomir-Zn (Telomir-1), is an orally-dosed metal-modulating epigenetic agent designed to redistribute zinc and iron intracellularly, with FDA IND clearance for triple-negative breast cancer and a Phase 1/2 trial planned for 1H 2026. A second candidate, Telomir-Ag2, is a stabilized Silver(II) antimicrobial complex targeting drug-resistant infections.

Product overview

Telomir Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class small-molecule therapeutics targeting epigenetic and metabolic pathways implicated in cancer and age-related disease. The company's lead product is Telomir-Zn (also referred to as Telomir-1), a metal-modulating epigenetic agent advancing toward Phase 1/2 clinical trials for triple-negative breast cancer after receiving FDA IND clearance. The company has expanded its pipeline to include Telomir-Ag2, a novel antimicrobial candidate targeting drug-resistant infections. Telomir-Zn works by restoring intracellular metal homeostasis (zinc, iron, copper balance) and modulating epigenetic pathways, with preclinical efficacy demonstrated across multiple cancer models (triple-negative breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer), metabolic disease (Type 2 diabetes), and rare diseases (Wilson's disease, progeria).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Telomir-Zn (Telomir-1) First-in-class metal-modulating epigenetic small-molecule therapeutic that restores intracellular zinc and iron homeostasis to address tumor progression, genomic instability, and treatment resistance. Lead candidate advancing toward clinical evaluation in advanced and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), with preclinical data also generated in prostate cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, Type 2 diabetes, Wilson's disease, and age-related conditions.
• Telomir-Ag2 Stabilized Silver(II) complex antimicrobial with broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin- and aminoglycoside-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MARSA). Designed for potential wound care, burn centers, and surgical applications with a $30B+ addressable antimicrobial market opportunity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% increase in telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human normal embryonic fibroblast cells in vitro
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TELI PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelomir completed acquisition of TELI Pharmaceuticals in March 2026 via stock-for-stock transaction, consolidating worldwide rights to Telomir-1 (Telomir-Zn) under a single corporate structure. The deal included $1.0 million in immediate funding at closing and up to $4.0 million additional tied to FDA IND acceptance and Phase 1/2 trial initiation milestones. Bayshore Trust, a TELI shareholder, contributed $1M at closing. Previously fragmented North American and international rights are now unified.
• Smart Assays BiotechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with Smart Assays Biotechnologies for cellular studies using live-cell fluorescent probes to demonstrate Telomir-1's mechanism of action — specifically showing coordinated intracellular redistribution of zinc and iron in cultured human HaCaT cells within 30 minutes sustained over two hours. Smart Assays also conducted copper binding studies validating Telomir-1's exceptional binding affinity for copper ions.
• RecipharmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipharm provided critical manufacturing and development support for Telomir-1, including GMP preparation and copper binding studies. The collaboration facilitated progress toward IND-enabling studies and manufacturing scale-up for clinical trials. Telomir also collaborated with Smart Assays on copper binding studies demonstrating Telomir-1's selective interaction with copper ions.
• MIRA PharmaceuticalsminorOthersErez Aminov serves as Chairman and CEO of both Telomir Pharmaceuticals and MIRA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MIRA). Alan Weichselbaum serves as CFO of both companies. Ned MacPherson, Matthew Pratt Whalen, and Dr. Matthew Del Giudice serve as directors of both companies. This shared leadership and governance represents a connected corporate ecosystem between the two publicly traded biopharmaceutical companies.
• The Georgetown Group (Longevity Expert Panel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormed in December 2023, the Georgetown Group comprises 14 individuals from medicine, medical ethics, public relations, law, and economics who provide strategic guidance on Telomir-1's research direction. Dr. Michael Roizen (former Cleveland Clinic Chief Wellness Officer, NYT bestselling author) serves as a key member and public-facing special advisor on age reversal, presenting preclinical data at the National Press Club in April 2024.
• Midwest Veterinary ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTelomir partnered with Midwest Veterinary Services for a planned large-scale osteoarthritis study in dogs. Only the safety phase was completed (showing no adverse effects) before the company discontinued the study due to ethical concerns about inducing osteoarthritis. Telomir is now in discussions with a well-known veterinary institution to design a new study recruiting elderly dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis.
• PentagritminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndia-based research organization that collaborated with Telomir on preclinical Type 2 diabetes studies in zebrafish models. The study evaluated two forms of Telomir-1 at three different doses, assessing fasting glucose, OGTT, insulin concentrations, and HOMA-IR. Results demonstrated dose-dependent efficacy in normalizing blood glucose and reducing insulin resistance to near pre-diabetic levels.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• BioMarin Pharmaceutical: Established rare-disease pharmaceutical company that commercializes treatments for genetic conditions. Directly comparable for Telomir's Wilson's disease program given BioMarin's expertise in rare/orphan drug development, commercialization, and global distribution infrastructure.

Emerging players

• BioAge Labs: Clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics targeting the biology of aging. Directly comparable to Telomir's longevity/age-reversal positioning, with overlapping mechanism research and target indication space (e.g., age-related metabolic decline).
• Orphalan: Specialist pharmaceutical company focused on Wilson's disease (commercializing Cufence/trientine). Direct competitive comparable for Telomir's Wilson's disease program, representing the standard-of-care incumbent that any Telomir-Zn Wilson's program would need to displace.
• Unity Biotechnology: Aging-focused biotech developing senolytic therapeutics. Closest direct thematic comparable to Telomir's anti-aging and age-reversal positioning, though with a different mechanism (senescent cell clearance vs. metal modulation).

Direct peers

• Structure Therapeutics: Clinical-stage small-molecule biotech pursuing novel mechanisms in high-prevalence indications. Comparable in size, capital profile, and the strategy of leveraging a single platform mechanism across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Altimmune: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation therapies for obesity and metabolic diseases. Comparable in size, stage, and metabolic-disease focus (overlapping with Telomir's T2D program) — a relevant benchmark for clinical execution and capital efficiency.
• Viking Therapeutics: Clinical-stage small-cap biotech developing novel small-molecule therapeutics for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Comparable in stage (Phase 1/2), therapeutic area overlap (T2D/metabolic disease), and business model of advancing first-in-class mechanisms toward partnering or commercialization.
• Lexicon Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage small-molecule biotech developing cardiometabolic and neuroscience therapies. Similar size, stage, and capital profile to Telomir; comparable challenges in advancing a single platform across multiple indications with limited resources.
• Madrigal Pharmaceuticals: Small-cap clinical-stage biopharma that recently achieved first-in-class approval (Rezdiffra for MASH). Provides a roadmap of how a small-molecule metabolic disease biotech can navigate from preclinical through approval, though with significantly more capital and headcount than Telomir.
• MIRA Pharmaceuticals: Closest comparable given shared CEO (Erez Aminov), CFO, and multiple overlapping directors. Both are clinical-stage NASDAQ-listed biotechs with similar market caps pursuing small-molecule therapeutics. Functions as Telomir's effectively-sister company within a connected corporate ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

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M&A1 record

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Telomir Pharmaceuticals