BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New technology leveraging established research, natural compounds, and artificial intelligence is poised to help consumers slow age-related changes in hair and skin. Recent research has demonstrated that changes in our mitochondria—often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell—are at the root of many age-related changes in hair and skin, as well as other systems in our bodies. Based on this research Yuva Biosciences has utilized AI to comb through thousands of molecules to identify YuvaBio® Y100™ as an ingredient which can help mitigate what scientists refer to as mitochondrial dysfunction. It is now available for licensing to non-drug consumer brands.
“We believe this is one of the biggest innovations in hair loss we’ve seen in twenty-five years” said Dr. Ken Washenik, Chief Medical Officer of Bosley, the industry leader in hair restoration solutions for women and men. BosleyMD® is rolling out its new Revive Plus Densifying Foam with YuvaBio® Y100™ technology for men and women to major national mass retailers, beauty chains, pharmacy chains, and e-commerce sites.
WORLD LEADER IN MITOCHONDRIAL SCIENCE
Critical pioneering science in mitochondrial science has been driven by Dr. Keshav K. Singh, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Yuva Biosciences. Dr. Singh, a Harvard-trained researcher and Joy and Bill Harbert Endowed Chair and professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is the founding Editor in Chief of the journal Mitochondrion, founder of the Mitochondria Research and Medicine Society and author of more than 100 scientific studies on mitochondria. While it was previously known that mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor involved in overall aging, Dr. Singh was the first to discover and prove experimentally that mitochondrial dysfunction is a key cause of aging for hair and skin and that it can be reversed by restoring mitochondrial function. His landmark 2018 study made global headlines and spawned the question: what if products could be made for consumers that help reverse mitochondrial decline and the undesirable changes that follow. In 2019, Yuva Biosciences was born to meet that challenge. Yuva Biosciences experts used AI to identify molecules that could restore mitochondrial function, of which Y100 is the first to market out of the pipeline.
EXPERIENCE IN TRANSLATING SCIENCE INTO PRODUCTS
The Yuva Biosciences team also has considerable experience in translating science into products, including the CEO, Greg Schmergel, who is a serial entrepreneur whose previous company was in the nanotechnology field, and well-known consumer products innovation leader Dr. Shekhar Mitra. Dr. Mitra was previously the Senior Vice President of Corporate Innovation at Procter & Gamble and part of P&G’s Global Leadership Council. Under his leadership, P&G created and developed many successful globally-renowned products, such as Oil of Olay Regenerist, Crest Whitestrips, Crest ProHealth, Aleve Analgesic, Prilosec, Old Spice Clinical Strength, and many others. Dr. Mitra has been awarded over 50 patents, and notes that, “Applying a unique platform based on mitochondrial science to create breakthrough products for skin care and hair care, as Yuva Biosciences has done, is a real game-changer, with noticeable effects being seen already in multiple clinical trials and now in products on the shelves.”
INVESTOR EXCITEMENT
In related news, VentureSouth, one of the country’s largest angel investment networks, announced that it led a $7.5M seed round for Yuva Biosciences. "Tens of billions of dollars are spent every year on cosmetics products that address symptoms of aging but don't actually slow the aging process,” said Matt Dunbar, Managing Director at VentureSouth. "Yuva Biosciences' technology solves this problem with once-in-a-generation innovation by fighting a key root cause of aging, mitochondrial dysfunction. We are truly excited about the potential impact these products can have for millions of consumers," he concluded. VentureSouth has invested over $82 million in more than 100 companies. More information is available at https://venturesouth.vc/. Other investors in the round include Longevity Tech Fund (https://www.longevitytech.fund/), TBD Angels (https://tbdangels.com/) and Atma Capital (https://atmacap.com). The team is comprised of alumni from MIT, McKinsey, along with a distinguished board of tech titans, global C-Level executives, and founders in every major deep tech vertical.
WHAT’S NEXT
‘With the world’s first and only proven platform to search specifically for new compounds that improve mitochondrial health, Yuva Biosciences is starting with hair and skin aging, with the potential to address other mitochondrial-related issues such as ovarian aging (fertility and menopausal issues), wound care and more,” said Yuva Bioscience’s CEO and Co-founder Greg Schmergel. Schmergel has started multiple companies previously, raising over $140M collectively, and has served on the boards of start-ups, hospitals, and organizations supporting entrepreneurship.
About Yuva Biosciences (www.yuvabio.com). Yuva Biosciences is a longevity company harnessing the cutting edge of mitochondrial science to help consumer brands develop products targeted at aging-related hair loss, wrinkled skin, and many other symptoms of aging. Yuva Biosciences is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
