RICHMOND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioAge Labs, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing medications that target the molecular causes of aging to extend healthy human lifespan, today announced the appointment of Rekha Hemrajani and Jason Coloma to the company’s board of directors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jason Coloma and Rekha Hemrajani to BioAge’s board of directors,” said Kristen Fortney, CEO of BioAge Labs. "Their deep experience in biotechnology, business development, operations, and finance will be invaluable to BioAge as we advance our growing pipeline of clinical-stage therapeutics that treat diseases of aging.”
Jason Coloma, MBA, Ph.D., is CEO of Maze Therapeutics, Inc. a biotech company focused on translating genetic insights into clinical innovations. Before he became CEO, he was Maze’s interim COO and a venture partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he also served as interim CBO at portfolio companies insitro and Celsius Therapeutics.
Dr. Coloma’s earlier roles include senior VP and CBO of Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and VP and global therapeutic area head of oncology immunotherapy partnering at Roche. He is currently also a member of the boards of Alloy Therapeutics, Inc. and the St. Anthony Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. and M.P.H. from University of California-Berkeley, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a B.S. in biology from the University of San Francisco.
“I have long believed that to really make a difference in human health, it is necessary to tackle the aging process,” said Dr. Coloma. “BioAge, leveraging the power of its data-driven platform to identify a large set of key human aging mechanisms, is strategically positioned to spearhead a new approach to drug development. As a member of the board, I am keen to contribute to the realization of this transformative approach to developing therapies for patients.”
Rekha Hemrajani, MBA, is a senior executive with more than 20 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience. She currently serves as CEO of Jiya Acquisition Corp., an entity formed to seek business combinations in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals sector, where she led the $100 million initial public offering.
Previously, Ms. Hemrajani served as President and CEO of Aravive, Inc.; COO and CFO of Arcus Biosciences, Inc.; COO of FLX Bio, Inc. (now RAPT Therapeutics, Inc.); and CFO and Senior Vice President of Business and Financial Operations of 3-V Biosciences, Inc. (now Sagimet Biosciences, Inc.). Earlier in her career, she served as VP, Head of Licensing and Mergers & Acquisitions at Onyx Pharmaceuticals (sold to Amgen), VP of Business Development at Exelixis, Inc, and also worked in healthcare investment banking at Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston. She is currently on the board of directors of MaxCyte, Inc. and ALX Oncology, Inc., and is a member of the Investment Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund. She holds B.S. degrees in Economics and Computer Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
“I am thrilled to be joining the BioAge board at this exciting stage, and to help contribute to the company’s growth as it leverages its industry-leading informatics platform and advances its portfolio of clinical stage therapeutics to address important unmet needs in treating diseases of aging,” Ms. Hemrajani said.
About BioAge
BioAge is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments to extend healthy lifespan by targeting the molecular causes of aging. The company uses its discovery platform, which combines quantitative analysis of proprietary longitudinal human samples with detailed health records tracking individuals over the lifespan, to map out the key molecular pathways that impact healthy human aging, thus revealing the causes of age-related disease. By targeting the mechanisms of aging with a large and mechanistically diverse portfolio of drugs, BioAge will unlock opportunities to treat or even prevent these diseases in entirely new ways. To date, BioAge has raised $127M from Andreessen Horowitz, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and others. In early 2021, BioAge initiated Phase 2 clinical trials of two drugs: BGE-117, a potent inhibitor of HIF PH, is being tested for anemias of aging, and will be developed for indications related to muscle weakness; BGE-175, a PGD2 DP1 receptor inhibitor, is being tested for COVID-19, and will be developed for disorders of the aging immune system. In 1H 2022, BioAge will begin clinical trials of the apelin receptor agonist BGE-105 to treat muscle atrophy, with future indications related to sarcopenia and frailty. For additional information about BioAge, visit the company’s website at www.bioagelabs.com.
