Lilly bets $650M on AI-powered muscle health with Juvena deal

USA – Eli Lilly is committing US$ 650 million to a groundbreaking partnership with Juvena Therapeutics, aiming to develop AI-powered biologics that enhance muscle health and body composition.

This collaboration taps into Juvena’s advanced AI platform, which analyzes stem cell-secreted proteins to identify promising drug candidates, especially relevant for obesity treatments.

Through this deal, Lilly is providing an upfront investment, equity funding, and milestone payments tied to development progress. In return, Juvena grants exclusive rights to its selected drug candidates, with Lilly overseeing research, development, and commercialization.

Juvena’s JuvNET screening platform plays a central role in the partnership. Combining proteomics, multi-omics analysis, and robotics-enabled screening, it systematically maps regenerative proteins to therapeutic targets.

As drug screening advances, AI refines its accuracy and speed, thereby optimizing the efficiency of drug development.

Juvena CEO Hanadie Yousef highlighted the significance of AI in advancing muscle health: “We are thrilled to demonstrate the power of our AI-enabled platform to accelerate the discovery of therapeutics that promote healthspan for individuals facing chronic conditions like obesity and frailty.”

Addressing obesity treatment challenges

The partnership tackles an emerging issue in weight loss therapies—muscle preservation. GLP-1-based medications, such as Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide), are effective at reducing fat but may also lead to loss of muscle mass.

Lilly is actively developing solutions, including bimagrumab, a Phase II antibody acquired through a US$ 1.9 billion buyout of Versant Biosciences in 2023.

Yousef emphasized the growing demand for muscle regenerative therapies, explaining: “If combined with incretin therapies, our approach can enhance the quality of weight loss while preserving, and potentially improving, muscle function.”

Juvena’s drug pipeline includes JUV-112, a promising preclinical candidate designed to boost fat burning while maintaining muscle mass.

The treatment works through a unique mechanism, targeting energy expenditure rather than appetite suppression.