Longevity biotech aims to unleash the power of NAD+ against age-related diseases

MetaShape’s PNP inhibitor technology aims to restore NAD+ levels to combat LDL cholesterol, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

At the recent Longevity Investors Conference in Switzerland, we came across a new longevity therapeutics company with a fascinating technology. metaShape Pharma , a clinical-stage biotech company based in Basel, Switzerland, is developing therapies to combat age-related diseases by restoring nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels in the body.

MetaShape’s approach centers on inhibiting purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), an enzyme that limits the body’s capacity to synthesize NAD+. The company is initially targeting well-defined age-related conditions, such as high cholesterol, the prevention of cognitive decline, and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A clinical trial in LDL cholesterol reduction is planned for as early as next year, although MetaShape’s longer-term vision is to address the wider complexities of aging itself.

My take on this: NAD+ is a vital coenzyme required by all living cells to perform essential functions, supporting cellular metabolism, DNA repair, and immune responses, effectively acting as the fuel that powers biological systems. However, the natural decline in NAD+ levels as we age impairs these processes, leading to cellular exhaustion and dysfunction, and is linked to a host of age-related conditions. We caught up with MetaShape founder and CEO, Dr Thomas Mehrling to learn more about how the company aims to combat diseases and aging through NAD+ restoration.

The origins of MetaShape began back in 2007, when Mehrling, then head of the European oncology division of the Mundipharma Group, first became aware of PNP inhibitors through a collaboration with US biotech company BioCryst. While the company ultimately didn’t end up pursing the technology, Mehrling was convinced it had potential for something significant.

“When I left Mundipharma in 2019, I joined up with my co-founder Shanta Bantia who was the head of biology at BioCryst, and we both felt that something may have been overlooked,” he says. “So, we linked up with a team of UCLA researchers that specialized in nucleoside metabolism, and we discovered intriguing other capabilities of these drugs.”

Discover how PNP supports NAD+ synthesis, explore early promising studies, and more right HERE.

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