In a major win for the South Jersey biotech corridor, Linnaeus Therapeutics has been awarded a federal contract worth up to $22 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The funding will fast-track the development of a groundbreaking drug designed not just to treat disease, but to prolong “healthspan”—the period of life spent in good health.
The award is part of the prestigious PROSPR (PROactive Solutions for Prolonging Resilience) program, a federal initiative aimed at finding medical interventions that keep people independent and physically capable as they age.
Linnaeus, based in Haddonfield, is focusing on a lead drug candidate called LNS8801. The drug works by activating the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER).
The research was inspired by a fascinating real-world observation: women often experience better outcomes across various age-related diseases compared to men. By targeting the GPER receptor, Linnaeus believes they can trigger the body’s natural resilience to delay physical and cognitive decline.
The goal is to preserve “Intrinsic Capacity,” which includes:
- Physical Function: Maintaining mobility and strength.
- Cognitive Function: Protecting memory and mental sharpness.
- Resilience: The body’s ability to bounce back from illness or injury.
While LNS8801 is now being hailed for its potential to fight aging, it originally began its journey in oncology. More than 100 patients have already been treated with the drug in Phase 1/2 cancer studies, where it showed an “exceptional” safety profile.
Interestingly, researchers noticed that cancer patients taking the drug also saw significant improvements in cardiometabolic health, including:
- Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Reduced systolic blood pressure
- Improved blood sugar (HbA1C) levels
- Weight loss
“Since cardiometabolic health naturally declines with age, the preliminary data suggesting LNS8801 improves these in humans is compelling,” Andrew Brack, ARPA-H program manager said.
The $22 million contract will fund a multiphase research program. Linnaeus will first conduct preclinical aging studies, followed by a randomized clinical trial involving healthy older adults.
If successful, this Haddonfield-born therapy could shift the entire healthcare model from reactive (treating diseases after they appear) to preventive (protecting the body’s systems before they break down).
“ARPA-H’s evaluation of our data validates the promise of LNS8801 to potentially prevent diseases of aging,” Dr. Patrick Mooney, CEO of Linnaeus Therapeutics said. “This will enable a rigorous program to translate that promise into clinically meaningful improvements.”
Linnaeus was originally founded on discoveries made at the University of Pennsylvania and continues to be a standout success story for the South Jersey and Philadelphia-area life sciences ecosystem.
