Refoxy Pharma

What Refoxy Pharma does

Refoxy Pharmaceuticals GmbH, operating as Refoxy Pharma, is a preclinical-stage German biotechnology company developing small molecule activators of the FOXO3 transcription factor to treat age-related diseases. The company focuses on conditions driven by cellular stress and aging biology, with its lead program targeting Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a chronic, life-limiting interstitial lung disease affecting approximately 3 million people globally that currently has limited treatment options and high mortality.

The company's core technology is its proprietary F.act Finder (FOXO Activator Finder) discovery platform, which uses phenotypic screening combined with FOXO3-specificity assessments and built-in safety counter-screens to identify and optimize drug-like small molecules that activate FOXO3 — a master regulator of cellular homeostasis traditionally considered undruggable because it is a transcription factor rather than a classical enzyme or receptor. Refoxy's pipeline targets IPF as the lead indication, where lead compounds have demonstrated robust anti-fibrotic effects in preclinical models, with broader applicability to fibrotic and cardiovascular conditions that share aging-driven pathology.

Refoxy operates as a venture-backed R&D-stage biotech with no commercial products, no disclosed revenue, and no pricing model. The company is incorporated as Refoxy Pharmaceuticals GmbH in Cologne, Germany, and is funded through equity capital. Its investor base includes Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (lead investor of the December 2024 €9.1M seed-extension), Apollo Health Ventures, NRW.Venture, and High-Tech Gründerfonds, with earlier seed participation from Korify Capital. Future monetization is expected to flow from licensing or commercialization of FOXO3-activating therapeutics following clinical development and regulatory approval, with distribution through pharmaceutical channels once products are approved.

Name

Refoxy Pharma

Legal name

Refoxy Pharmaceuticals GmbH

Website

https://refoxy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refoxy Pharmaceuticals is a preclinical German biotech developing small molecule FOXO3 transcription factor activators via its proprietary F.act Finder discovery platform, with a lead program targeting Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and broader application to age-related fibrotic and cardiovascular diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Longevity Biotechnology / Age-Related Disease Therapeutics

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAAAMAJ

Genomic & Multi-Omic Biomarkers (NGS panels, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Biotechnology & Biologics/Biomarkers and Companion Diagnostics

Keywords

• Drug discovery platform
• Longevity therapeutics
• Small molecule drugs
• Age-related disease treatment
• Transcription factor modulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Refoxy Pharma is a preclinical biotechnology company developing small molecule therapeutics that activate the FOXO3 transcription factor to treat age-related diseases. Its lead program targets Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), with a broader pipeline aimed at fibrotic and cardiovascular conditions, using its proprietary F.act finder drug discovery platform to identify FOXO3-activating compounds that address the root biology of cellular aging and stress.

Product overview

Refoxy Pharma operates as a preclinical biotech developing a pipeline of FOXO3-activating therapeutics built on its proprietary F.act finder platform. The platform enables identification and optimization of small molecule FOXO3 activators, while the company advances its lead series through preclinical development for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), with broader pipeline expansion planned for other age-related diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOXO3 Therapeutics Pipeline Preclinical pipeline of small molecule activators of the FOXO3 transcription factor intended to treat age-related diseases, with the lead program targeting Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a chronic progressive lung-scarring disease with high mortality and limited treatment options. The pipeline is intended to expand to additional fibrotic and cardiovascular indications.
• F.act finder (FOXO Activator Finder) Drug Discovery Platform Proprietary drug discovery platform that identifies and develops small molecule activators of the FOXO3 transcription factor through phenotypic screening, unbiased assessments of FOXO3 specificity, and built-in safety and counter-screening measurements, enabling targeting of traditionally 'undruggable' transcription factors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lead series has demonstrated robust anti-fibrotic effects in preclinical studies for IPF
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pliant Therapeutics: Pliant Therapeutics develops novel therapies for fibrotic diseases, with a lead program (bexotegrast) in late-stage clinical development for IPF. It is a direct peer to Refoxy in the IPF indication specifically, providing a relevant benchmark for clinical translation timelines and competitive dynamics.
• BioAge Labs: BioAge Labs is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics that target the molecular mechanisms of aging, with pipeline programs spanning metabolic, fibrotic, and inflammatory age-related diseases. It is a direct peer to Refoxy in the aging-biology drug discovery space.
• Unity Biotechnology: Unity Biotechnology is a clinical-stage company developing senolytic therapeutics to treat diseases of aging, including ophthalmologic and musculoskeletal indications. It is a direct peer to Refoxy as an aging-biology biotech, though focused on cellular senescence rather than FOXO3 activation.
• Aeovian Pharmaceuticals: Aeovian Pharmaceuticals is a preclinical-stage biotech developing selective mTORC1 inhibitors for age-related diseases. It is a direct peer to Refoxy as a small-molecule aging-biology platform company at a similar preclinical stage and similar fundraising profile.
• Cleara Biotech: Cleara Biotech develops small molecules targeting FOXO transcription factors (including FOXO3/FOXO4) for aging-related disease. It is the most direct comparable to Refoxy in both target class (FOXO3 activation) and therapeutic area (longevity/aging), making it the closest peer on a scientific-mechanism basis.
• Insilico Medicine: Insilico Medicine is an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on aging and age-related diseases, with clinical-stage pipeline programs in fibrosis (including IPF). It is a direct peer to Refoxy in longevity/fibrotic disease focus, though it leverages AI rather than phenotypic screening for lead identification.
• Loyal for Dogs (Loyal): Loyal is a clinical-stage biotech developing longevity therapeutics, with FDA-acceptance of a longevity-indication pathway. It is a direct peer to Refoxy in the broader aging/longevity biotech category, providing a relevant valuation and milestone benchmark for a development-stage aging company.

Broad incumbents

• FibroGen: FibroGen developed and commercialized pirfenidone (Esbriet) for IPF before divesting the asset to Roche. It is a broad incumbent in the IPF therapeutic area and a relevant valuation/scope benchmark for any IPF-focused biotech including Refoxy.
• United Therapeutics: United Therapeutics markets Tyvaso (treprostinil) for pulmonary hypertension and related fibrotic lung indications, with active IPF-adjacent programs. It is a broad incumbent in pulmonary/fibrotic disease therapeutics and a relevant large-pharma benchmark for commercial-scale IPF economics.
• Calico Life Sciences: Calico (an Alphabet subsidiary) is a research-and-development company focused on the biology of aging and age-related diseases, with a broad small-molecule and partnership-driven pipeline. It is a broad incumbent in the aging-biology biotech space, providing a strategic-partnership benchmark relevant to Refoxy's platform model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refoxy-pharma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Refoxy Pharma