Juvenescence acquires AI drug firm Ro5 to enhance R&D and expand lifespan-extending medicines

Juvenescence Limited, a clinical-stage biotech company specializing in AI-driven drug discovery, has announced a significant acquisition with Ro5 Inc., an innovative AI drug discovery company. This strategic move aims to bolster Juvenescence's capabilities in artificial intelligence and machine learning for drug discovery, forming a central pillar of its partnership with the Abu Dhabi-based healthcare organization M42, which was established earlier in 2025.

Ro5 Inc. is renowned for its advanced platform that utilizes a proprietary Biomedical Knowledge Graph. This graph comprises over 85 million nodes and approximately 400 million relationships, which help in revealing novel associations within biological processes. Consequently, it supports a thorough evaluation of potential drug targets based on biological, therapeutic, and market factors. Additionally, Ro5's AI Chemistry Platform employs state-of-the-art machine learning models and cheminformatics tools, facilitating the swift discovery and design of new compounds from initial identification through to lead optimization.

This acquisition follows Juvenescence's recent announcement of securing $76 million in a Series B-1 financing round, led by its cornerstone investor M42. The funding will be pivotal in backing clinical milestones and driving AI-focused development throughout Juvenescence's portfolio of therapeutics targeting age-related diseases. The second close of this financing round is expected in the third quarter of 2025.

Integrating Ro5's AI drug discovery platform and its expert team into Juvenescence is anticipated to accelerate the identification and development of AI-powered therapeutics. This move strengthens the company's growing pipeline in areas such as cognition, cardio-metabolism, immunity, and cellular repair.

Dr. Richard Marshall CBE, CEO of Juvenescence, expressed enthusiasm over the acquisition: "We are thrilled to welcome the Ro5 team and their capabilities into Juvenescence. The addition of Ro5’s AI platform significantly enhances our drug discovery capabilities, accelerating our efforts to identify and advance effective therapeutics to extend healthspan. This acquisition is also a critical part of our wider strategy with M42 to deliver a pipeline of transformative therapies and establish a world-class life sciences hub in Abu Dhabi. Together, we remain committed to improving the lives of millions of patients."

Charles Dazler Knuff, CEO of Ro5, shared a similar sentiment: "The Ro5 team is excited to join the world-class drug development team at Juvenescence. Embedding our AI-driven drug discovery capabilities into Juvenescence’s operations will expedite their ability to advance next-generation therapeutics. Alongside our partners at M42, we are laying the groundwork for an innovative life sciences ecosystem in Abu Dhabi that harnesses AI innovation to revolutionize patient care and global health outcomes."

Juvenescence is driven by a mission to develop novel medicines that extend the healthy lifespan, focusing on targeting core aging mechanisms to treat and prevent age-related diseases. Founded by Jim Mellon, Dr. Greg Bailey, and Dr. Declan Doogan, the company boasts a team with an impressive track record in leading significant biopharma deals, including the sale of Biohaven to Pfizer for $11.6 billion. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard Marshall CBE, Juvenescence’s team has been instrumental in the approval of medicines with peak annual sales totaling $30 billion.

Juvenescence leverages cutting-edge AI tools to develop successful therapeutics, with a diverse pipeline of clinical and near-clinical stage candidates targeting core aging mechanisms. These candidates are being developed for cognition, cardio-metabolism, immunity, and cellular repair. Additionally, Juvenescence invests in various cutting-edge companies and platform technologies focused on AI and regenerative medicine.