The business of getting rid of senescent cells (senolytics) is now one of the most popular areas in longevity research. Rejuveron has entered the field with Rejuveron Senescence Therapeutics, a program co-founded by Prof. Manuel Serrano, Dr. Timothy Cash and Dr. Marc Ramis Castelltort.
“It was over several meetings with Prof. Manuel Serrano, and Rejuveron’s CEO, Matthias Steger, that our company was conceived”, explains Tim, who identifies more as a scientist from a traditional academic background rather than the biotech entrepreneur he has become.
I knew we had some really exciting science in the senescence field
“I knew we had some really exciting science in the senescence field, and my enthusiasm was matched by Manuel and Matthias”, he continued. “I’d always wanted to focus on what I’m best at — getting on with the serious research — but realised that to make any therapy happen, you need business expertise as well”.
Marc, on the other hand, is a serial biotech entrepreneur, having founded six other companies: “I know from experience that to set up a biotech company, you need to do a bit of everything, from the bench work through to patent-writing. Manuel, Tim and I were both looking for the scientific freedom we yearned for, and Rejuveron’s platform model offered just that, with the scope to establish our own team.”
Rejuveron Senescence Therapeutics not only benefits from the financial and administrative support offered from the holding company, but also the mentoring provided by Rejuveron’s team and expert network.
“In the beginning it was a challenge to get everything set up, as it is with every start-up”, explains Marc. “Now that Rejuveron has grown, we have been supported more and more. We have regular contact with the team, who are like an extension of ours, and we co-create everything, from financing to developing our assets through to proof-of-concept.”
“The cultural differences between a biotech with Mediterranean roots and team members with Swiss big pharma experience creates a healthy, challenging environment with constructive results.”
