Insilico Medicine announced that its AI-discovered drug, rentosertib, demonstrated a reversal of biological age markers in a mid-stage study. The findings, published in Nature Biotechnology, indicated that rentosertib reduced biological age as measured by six different aging clocks, which assess chemical changes in the body. This marks a significant development for AI-driven drug discovery, as rentosertib is the first de-novo drug designed with generative AI for an AI-discovered de-novo target.
The study involved 42 patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), an age-related lung disease. While the primary purpose of the trial was for IPF, researchers analyzed longitudinal Olink proteomic data using six independently developed proteomic aging clocks from institutions like Harvard and Oxford. All six models consistently showed a trend toward reduced predicted biological age in patients treated with rentosertib, with a peak effect of approximately 3-4 years reversal at Week 4 in participants receiving 30 mg BID, and up to 6 years in one specific aging clock.
Researchers cautioned that the small sample size and short 12-week duration meant the results couldn't definitively prove that rentosertib slows or reverses human aging, nor could they fully separate the drug's anti-fibrotic effects from its potential anti-aging properties. However, the study did show that rentosertib's anti-aging effects were partially independent of its respiratory benefits, with different doses yielding optimal results for lung function versus age reversal signals. Mechanistically, the drug acted as a senomorphic agent, suppressing key drivers of cellular senescence and modulating pathways associated with accelerated aging.
Insilico is pursuing a dual-purpose therapeutic strategy, integrating geroscience endpoints into disease-focused drug development. The company reported strong financial performance, with total revenue of approximately $106 million in the first half of 2026, a 287% year-over-year increase, and an adjusted net profit exceeding $51 million. This financial success was driven by collaborations with major partners, including Eli Lilly and Servier, with the cumulative contract value of its major collaborations since 2021 reaching approximately $11 billion.
