BioAge to analyze 17,000 HUNT Biobank samples for aging-related disease targets.

BioAge Labs, a biotechnology company, is collaborating with Age Labs AS to profile and analyze over 17,000 samples from the HUNT Biobank in Norway. The initiative aims to accelerate the discovery of drug targets for aging-related diseases and deepen insights into the biology of resilience across multiple therapeutic indications. The molecular profiles will be generated from samples collected over decades of aging from 6,000+ participants.

BioAge Labs, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focusing on metabolic diseases, has announced a significant expansion to its drug discovery platform. The company is collaborating with Age Labs AS to profile and analyze over 17,000 samples from the HUNT Biobank in Norway. This initiative aims to accelerate the discovery of drug targets for aging-related diseases and deepen insights into the biology of resilience across multiple therapeutic indications [1].

The HUNT Biobank contains samples collected over decades from 6,000+ participants, providing a rich dataset for molecular profiling. BioAge will use Standard BioTools’ SomaScan assay to quantify thousands of proteins in each sample and apply machine-learning models to connect molecular changes with disease onset, progression, and aging. The insights generated from this analysis will feed directly into BioAge’s established discovery platform, which currently includes over 50 million molecular measurements collected over five decades [1].

The collaboration will allow BioAge to analyze a targeted set of participants whose long-term records trace the shift from health in middle age into cardiometabolic disease, cognitive decline, dementia, and other chronic conditions later in life. This comprehensive profiling will provide BioAge with a deeper understanding of the molecular factors that contribute to aging and the diseases it drives [1].

BioAge Labs is developing therapeutic product candidates for metabolic diseases by targeting the biology of human aging. The company's lead product candidate, BGE-102, is a potent, orally available, brain-penetrant small-molecule NLRP3 inhibitor being developed for obesity. IND submission and initiation of a Phase 1 SAD/MAD trial are planned for mid-2025, with initial SAD data anticipated by the end of the year [1].

The expansion of BioAge’s drug discovery platform with data from the HUNT Biobank is expected to accelerate the search for drug targets that maintain physiological resilience and help counter age-related diseases. This initiative builds on BioAge’s existing network of biobank partnerships and aligns with the company’s mission to develop therapeutic solutions for metabolic diseases [1].

References:
[1] https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9469548/bioage-labs-expands-drug-discovery-platform-with-data-from-leading-european-biobank