Life Biosciences

What Life Biosciences does

Life Biosciences is a clinical-stage, privately held biotechnology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is pioneering cellular rejuvenation through its proprietary Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming (PER) platform — also branded as the Epigenetic Restoration platform — which uses controlled expression of three of the four Yamanaka transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, collectively "OSK"), delivered via a modified AAV2 vector and gated by a doxycycline-inducible safety kill switch, to partially reprogram the epigenome of aged and damaged cells while preserving cellular identity. The platform underpins the lead clinical asset ER-100 (AAV2-OSK), currently in Phase 1 trials for optic neuropathies (open-angle glaucoma and NAION) at four U.S. sites, and the preclinical candidate ER-300 for MASH/liver disease. The company also operates two adjacent therapeutic platforms: a Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy (CMA) platform (oral small molecules, in-licensed from Albert Einstein College of Medicine) targeting neurodegenerative and age-related diseases, and a historical Mitochondrial Uncoupling platform for obesity/NASH. Foundational IP was in-licensed from Harvard's Sinclair lab via subsidiary Iduna Therapeutics.

The company is pre-revenue and finances operations through equity capital, having raised approximately $240 million cumulatively across a $50M Series B (January 2019), an $82M Series C led by Alpha Wave Ventures (January 2022), and a fully-subscribed $80M Series D (April 2026) that extends runway into H2 2027. The commercial go-to-market is enterprise field-sales in nature, with clinical-stage assets deployed through multi-site specialty ophthalmology channels for investigational therapy, supplemented by strategic channel partnerships: a cGMP AAV manufacturing partnership with Forge Biologics (May 2023) and a research collaboration with Singapore's SingHealth Duke-NUS REMEDIS (July 2025). Future revenue, if any products are approved, is expected to derive from commercialization of gene-therapy candidates and/or licensing of the PER platform across age-related indications, likely under specialty biologic / gene therapy pricing models typical of rare ophthalmology. The leadership team combines scientific founders (Chairman David Sinclair, PhD, AO of Harvard Medical School; co-founder Tristan Edwards) with seasoned biopharma operators (CEO Jerry McLaughlin, CSO Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson, COO Michael Ringel from BCG, board director David Guyer from EyeBio/Merck), and is advised by a board with operating, financial, and ophthalmology commercial expertise.

Name

Life Biosciences

Legal name

Life Biosciences, Inc.

Website

https://lifebiosciences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Life Biosciences is a clinical-stage, privately held biotechnology company that uses partial epigenetic reprogramming (OSK transcription factors delivered via AAV vectors) to develop gene-therapy treatments for age-related diseases, with lead candidate ER-100 in Phase 1 trials for optic neuropathies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gene Therapy

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Gene Therapy for Rare/Monogenic Diseases (HLAAACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI), Genomic & Multi-Omic Biomarkers (NGS panels, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) (HLAAAMAJ), Epigenomics & Chromatin Profiling Services (HLAGANAF)

Keywords

• Epigenetic reprogramming therapy
• Gene therapy development
• Age-related disease treatments
• Cellular rejuvenation platform
• Clinical stage biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Investigational drug development (pre-revenue): Life Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company and is currently pre-revenue. Future revenue is expected to derive from commercialization of its pipeline drug candidates (e.g., ER-100) and potentially licensing of its PER platform technology across multiple age-related disease indications.
2. Venture capital financing: Company has funded operations through multiple venture capital rounds: $50M Series B (January 2019), $82M Series C led by Alpha Wave Ventures (January 2022), and $80M Series D (April 2026), bringing total funding to approximately $240 million.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Core offering

Life Biosciences develops investigational gene therapies built on its proprietary Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming (PER) platform to treat age-related diseases. Its lead clinical candidate, ER-100, is an AAV2-delivered OSK gene therapy administered via single intravitreal injection and is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for open-angle glaucoma and NAION; preclinical candidate ER-300 applies the same OSK mechanism to MASH. The company also pursues a Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy platform and a legacy Mitochondrial Uncoupling platform.

Product overview

Life Biosciences operates a platform-plus-candidates architecture centered on its proprietary Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming (PER) Platform — also referred to as the Epigenetic Restoration Platform — which uses controlled expression of three Yamanaka transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, collectively "OSK") delivered via AAV vectors to rejuvenate aged and damaged cells. The PER platform underpins the company's lead clinical gene therapy candidate ER-100 (AAV2-OSK), currently in Phase 1 trials for optic neuropathies (open-angle glaucoma and NAION), and the preclinical candidate ER-300 for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Beyond the PER platform, Life Biosciences also maintains the Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy (CMA) Platform (oral small molecules for neurodegenerative and age-related diseases) and historically pursued a Mitochondrial Uncoupling Platform (oral small molecules for obesity and NASH). The company's strategy is to apply the shared OSK rejuvenation mechanism across multiple organ systems while using different vectors and promoters for each disease-specific drug product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ER-100 (AAV2-OSK) Lead clinical gene therapy candidate using a modified AAV2 vector to deliver three Yamanaka transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, collectively "OSK") via single intravitreal injection, gated by a doxycycline-inducible safety switch. In Phase 1 trials for open-angle glaucoma and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
• ER-300 Preclinical gene therapy candidate applying the Partial Epigenetic Reprogramming platform to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH); demonstrated significant improvements in ALT, AST, total cholesterol, and NAFLD steatosis scores in a MASH mouse model.
• Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy (CMA) Platform Program Therapeutic program developing oral small molecules designed to activate chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) to clear unwanted proteins that accumulate during aging and contribute to neurodegenerative and other age-related diseases.

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Altos Labs: Altos Labs is the most direct peer, founded in 2022 with $3B+ raised to pursue cellular rejuvenation programming via Yamanaka factors. Both Life Bio and Altos target epigenetic reprogramming of aged cells, though Altos is significantly larger and pursues broader cell-reprogramming approaches.
• Calico Life Sciences: Calico (California Life Company) is an Alphabet-backed longevity biotech (~$1.5B committed) focused on aging biology and age-related disease therapeutics. Both companies pursue the biology of aging as a primary therapeutic target, though Calico operates with much larger capital and broader scope.
• Turn Biotechnologies: Turn Bio is developing a platform to temporarily express Yamanaka factors (OSK) for cellular rejuvenation in vivo, the same core mechanism as Life Bio's PER platform. It is the closest direct technical competitor in epigenetic reprogramming therapeutics.
• NewLimit: NewLimit is a startup founded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong focused on epigenetic reprogramming to extend human healthspan. Both Life Bio and NewLimit pursue partial reprogramming approaches to aging using OSK-class transcription factors.
• Unity Biotechnology: Unity Biotechnology (NASDAQ: UBX) is a clinical-stage biotech developing therapeutics that target senescent cells to address age-related diseases. While its mechanism (senolytics) differs from Life Bio's OSK reprogramming, both target aging biology as a therapeutic category.

Emerging players

• BioAge Labs: BioAge Labs is a clinical-stage biotech using AI-driven discovery to identify drug targets that mimic the effects of exercise and caloric restriction for age-related disease. Both Life Bio and BioAge are biotechs pursuing aging biology, though BioAge focuses on small molecules and AI-identified targets.
• AgeX Therapeutics: AgeX Therapeutics is a biotech focused on developing regenerative medicine therapies for age-related degenerative diseases. It shares Life Bio's mission of treating age-related decline via cellular rejuvenation, though AgeX has faced financial and strategic challenges.

Broad incumbents

• Regenxbio: Regenxbio (NASDAQ: RGNX) is a leading clinical-stage gene therapy company developing AAV-based treatments for retinal diseases and other conditions. Both companies use AAV-delivered gene therapies for ocular indications, with Regenxbio being the established industry incumbent.
• Spark Therapeutics (Roche): Spark Therapeutics (acquired by Roche for $4.8B) is a gene therapy pioneer with FDA-approved ocular gene therapy (Luxturna). Both companies target ocular indications via AAV gene therapy, with Spark being the established commercial-stage incumbent.
• Genentech (Roche): Genentech, a Roche subsidiary, is a major ophthalmology biotech with commercial products in retinal disease (Lucentis, Vabysmo). It represents a potential strategic acquirer or competitor for Life Bio's optic neuropathy pipeline, given its dominance in the ophthalmology commercial landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifebiosciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifebiosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

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M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life Biosciences