Gordian Biotechnology is focused on identifying and developing treatments for complex age-related diseases. Their approach involves using an in vivo drug discovery platform to find therapeutic targets that are more likely to be effective in human clinical trials.
“At Gordian Biotechnology, we are on a mission to cure age-related disease, allowing people to lead longer, healthier lives and wake up every morning, more capable than the day before.“
Francisco LePort, CEO
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The Solution
Gordian Biotechnology employs a comprehensive platform to identify and develop treatments for complex age-related diseases. This platform integrates three key components: Patient Avatars, Mosaic Screening, and Pythia.
Patient Avatars
The process begins with the selection of Patient Avatars, which are animal models that closely resemble human patients in specific age-related conditions.
These animals often naturally develop diseases similar to those in humans, providing a more accurate representation of disease progression and response to treatment. For example, horses that naturally develop osteoarthritis (OA) are used to study this condition.
Mosaic Screening
Once appropriate Patient Avatars are identified, Gordian Biotechnology utilizes Mosaic Screening, a method that allows the simultaneous testing of hundreds of gene therapies within a single animal.
A pooled library of gene therapies is introduced into the target tissue at low doses, resulting in a “mosaic” of treated and untreated cells. Each therapy is barcoded, enabling precise tracking of its effects on individual cells. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of how different therapies influence disease processes in a living organism.
Pythia
Following Mosaic Screening, Gordian Biotechnology employs Pythia, an artificial intelligence-driven analysis tool.
Pythia examines the entire transcriptome, which is the complete set of RNA transcripts produced by the genome, to assess how each therapy affects various cellular pathways. By analyzing this data alongside existing human pathology information, Pythia identifies the most promising therapeutic candidates for further development.
Pipeline and Progress
Gordian Biotechnology’s platform has been applied to several age-related conditions:
- Osteoarthritis (OA):
In horses with naturally occurring OA, Gordian screened hundreds of gene therapies and advanced several promising candidates into human ex vivo validation studies. The results matched screen predictions with 80% accuracy, and some therapies progressed to additional testing and optimization. - Metabolic-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH):
In mouse models, a library of 50 gene therapies was introduced, successfully replicating 13 out of 16 known clinical outcomes. This demonstrated the platform’s predictive capabilities.
The company is also exploring applications in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and pulmonary fibrosis, with plans to expand into other complex age-related diseases.
For a more detailed discussion on the biological aspects of aging and therapeutic development, you might find this interview informative:
The Company
Gordian Biotechnology was founded in October 2018 by Francisco LePort, CEO, and Martin Borch Jensen, CSO. The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, USA.
As of April 2024, Gordian Biotechnology has raised a total of $60 million in venture capital funding. Investors include The Longevity Fund, Arctica Ventures, Athos Service GmbH, Gigafund, Founders Fund, Fifty Years, and former Novartis CEO Thomas Ebeling.
In terms of partnerships there is no public information to suggest any at this point.
Read about more anti-aging companies on this website through this link.
