Even after scrapping its lead obesity candidate due to liver toxicity, BioAge Labs is not shying away from the weight loss space. The Bay Area biotech has entered an option agreement with Chinese firm JiKang Therapeutics to potentially license a new apelin receptor agonist nanobody.
In addition, the company has filed a provisional patent application to cover a new class of new apelin receptor agonist molecules that are internally developed, BioAge announced June 3.
Under the terms of the agreement, BioAge and JiKang will work together to bring the nanobody to the beginning of investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies, BioAge said in the release. BioAge has the exclusive option to license the program, and, if the company chooses to do so, it will be in charge of global development and commercialization.
JiKang is receiving an undisclosed upfront payment and research funding, with future payments possible if BioAge exercises the option. Further down the line, milestone payments tied to development, regulatory and sales achievements, as well as tiered royalties, could come into play.
BioAge plans to pursue both oral and subcutaneous new apelin receptor agonist assets, according to the release, and plans to file an IND application for one of its new apelin receptor program candidates in 2026.
Apelin, a protein that is boosted after exercise, has a known ability to lower blood pressure and improve heart function, though it tends to decline with age. BioAge says that targeting apelin receptors mimics the effects of exercise, including promoting weight loss.
“Apelin is a key target in metabolic aging, and we’re happy to share significant updates on BioAge’s next-generation approaches to APJ agonism,” BioAge co-founder and CEO Kristen Fortney, Ph.D., said in the release. “Our preclinical data show that APJ agonism can amplify GLP-1–driven weight loss; by developing a long-acting injectable and an all-oral combination option in parallel, we aim to match diverse dosing preferences while driving greater efficacy and better body-composition outcomes.”
In addition to these new assets, BioAge currently has an apelin receptor agonist in the lead optimization stage, according to the company’s website.
BioAge scrapped its first apelin receptor agonist, azelaprag, in January after the drug candidate caused elevated liver enzyme levels in a phase 2 trial. BioAge stopped that trial in December 2024, just a few months after debuting on the Nasdaq with a $198 million public offering.
After dumping azelaprag, BioAge pivoted to neuroinflammation prospect BGE-102, an NLRP3 inhibitor, as its lead candidate. The biotech anticipates filing an IND application for BGE-102 in the middle of this year, and, if successful, sharing phase 1 single-ascending-dose data by year-end.
With this deal, BioAge joins a growing list of American biotechs licensing assets from Chinese companies. JiKang Therapeutics was founded by Fei Xu, Ph.D., a professor at ShanghaiTech University, according to the release and a LinkedIn post.
“This collaboration with BioAge marks a critical step toward translating our APJ program from bench research to clinical applications," Xu said in the release. "We are committed to advancing this innovative therapeutic candidate for patients worldwide."