University of Washington

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Junevity, a biotechnology company on a mission to extend lifespan and healthspan with cell reprogramming, raised $10 million in new funding, bringing its Seed financing to a total of $20 million. The new funding, led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital, enables Junevity to advance the company’s lead siRNA (silencing RNA) program for type 2 diabetes and obesity, JUN_01, through IND-enabling and initial clinical studies. The founders of Junevity were the first to demonstrate that repressing a single transcription factor can reprogram cell state to health in human cell models. “JUN_01 is a next-generation siRNA candidate for type 2 diabetes and obesity and the first cell reprogramming candidate with siRNA for metabolism,” said John Hoekman, co-founder & CEO of Junevity. “JUN_01 offers a unique and promising combination of improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss, with dosing every six months. This profile could fill an important need for effective and tolerable long-term diabetes and weight management either alone or in combination with GLP-1s,” said John Bamforth, PhD, the former chief marketing officer at Eli Lilly and advisor to Junevity. As demonstrated in preclinical studies, Junevity’s JUN_01 is the first known candidate to reprogram metabolism to a healthier, younger state. The effects include reduced blood glucose, improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss and maintenance of lean mass, all with the infrequent dosing and safety benefits enabled by siRNA. JUN_01 engages a novel, confidential target identified from the Junevity RESET platform, human disease data and genetic linkages. This target is implicated as a principal regulator of chronic metabolic dysfunction, insulin signaling and appetite. Preclinical models suggest best-in-class efficacy potential, low side effects, dosing once every six months and resistance to weight bounce back after treatment is ended. JUN_01 is promising as a monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1s and could enable lower or less frequent doses of GLP-1s. First-in-human trials are expected to begin in the second half of 2026. “JUN_01 is a next-generation siRNA candidate for type 2 diabetes and obesity and the first cell reprogramming candidate with siRNA for metabolism. By reprogramming metabolic tissue to a healthy state, we see profound and durable benefits beyond today’s standard of care. We look forward to bringing this to patients in our initial clinical studies,” said John Hoekman, co-founder & CEO of Junevity. Dr. Hoekman previously co-founded Impel Pharmaceuticals, taking his PhD invention at University of Washington to FDA approval of Trudhesa® for acute migraine. The Junevity RESET platform is based on exclusively licensed research by co-founder Dr. Janine Sengstack at the University of California at San Francisco. RESET uses omics, genetic linkages, ML/AI and siRNA to unlock novel cell reprogramming targets for therapeutic development. Previously “undruggable,” this technology enables targeting of transcription factors, which are master regulatory genes. Dr. Sengstack’s breakthrough research led to the founding of Junevity to bring siRNA reprogramming therapeutics to patients. The company is growing its initial pipeline of siRNA candidates in metabolism and neurodegeneration. Junevity’s long-term vision is to develop siRNA reprogramming for all major tissues implicated in complex disease. About Junevity Junevity is a biotechnology company developing cell reprogramming therapeutics with siRNA. The Junevity RESET platform is the first to use human disease omics, genetic linkages and ML/AI to identify novel transcription factor targets and repress them with siRNA therapeutics. Initial programs are in metabolism and neurodegeneration. Based in San Francisco and founded out of UCSF in 2023, Junevity’s mission is to increase lifespan and healthspan. Learn more at junevity.com.

Chronic cannabis use is increasingly linked to recurring bouts of vomiting, now officially classified as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. The new ICD code helps doctors identify cases more consistently and gives researchers a clearer picture of how often it occurs. Patients often resist the diagnosis, and the condition’s causes remain murky. Relief can come from unusual sources like hot showers or capsaicin cream.Over the past ten years, emergency departments have seen a steady rise in patients seeking help for abdominal pain and episodes of intense or long-lasting vomiting. What these cases often share is chronic cannabis use. Until last month, clinicians lacked a standardized way to document this condition. They now have a diagnostic code for "cannabis hyperemesis syndrome," a gastrointestinal disorder that begins within 24 hours of the most recent cannabis use and can continue for several days. People who experience it typically face these symptoms three or four times each year. New ICD Code Helps Clinicians Identify Cannabis Hyperemesis On Oct. 1, the World Health Organization added a formal entry for the condition to its International Classification of Diseases manual (ICD-10, currently). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also incorporated the new code, R11.16, into U.S. diagnostic systems. This update offers several benefits. Clinicians can now document the syndrome with a single, specific billing code instead of relying on multiple, less precise ones. Having the code appear in a patient's medical record also helps providers recognize repeat episodes during future visits. An important gain is improved data reliability. Investigators such as Beatriz Carlini can now track cases more accurately and look for patterns that were previously difficult to identify. "It helps us count and monitor these cases," said Carlini, a research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who studies adverse health effects of cannabis use. "In studying addiction and other public health concerns, we have three sources of data: what clinicians tell us, what people in the communities tell us, and what health records tell us. A new code for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome will supply important hard evidence on cannabis-adverse events, which physicians tell us is a growing problem." Limited Awareness Contributes to Delayed Diagnosis Although hospitals are seeing more patients with these symptoms, many providers are still unfamiliar with the condition because it has only recently been defined. "A person often will have multiple [emergency department] visits until it is correctly recognized, costing thousands of dollars each time," Carlini said. Even after an accurate diagnosis, some patients struggle to accept that cannabis is the source of their severe nausea and vomiting, said Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine specialist with UW Medicine and Seattle Children's. Cannabis is widely known for easing nausea in people undergoing chemotherapy or living with chronic conditions such as HIV and migraines, which adds to the confusion. "Some people say they've used cannabis without a problem for decades. Or they smoke pot because they think it treats their nausea," he said. "It seems like there's a threshold when people can become vulnerable to this condition, and that threshold is different for everyone. Even using in small amounts can make these people start throwing up." Uncertain Causes and Challenging Treatment Why the syndrome affects some cannabis users but not others remains unclear. "We don't know if it's related to the greater general availability of cannabis or the higher THC potency of some products or something else," Buresh said. Treating the condition is difficult. Standard anti-nausea medications often do not work reliably, he said, which sometimes forces clinicians to turn to second and third-line options such as Haldol, a medication more commonly used for psychotic episodes. Some individuals find limited relief through capsaicin cream, an over-the-counter analgesic that creates a warming sensation. According to Buresh, some patients apply it to their abdomen during episodes. Hot showers are also widely reported as helpful. "That's something that can clinch the diagnosis for me, when someone says they're better with a hot shower. Patients describe going through all the hot water in their house," he said. Why Recovery Can Be Difficult Several factors can slow recovery. Because the syndrome appears intermittently, some cannabis users may assume a recent episode was unrelated and continue using the substance without immediate problems, only to suddenly become severely ill again. For those who accept the diagnosis and try to stop cannabis use to ease their symptoms, addiction can make abstinence difficult, Carlini said.

A massive veteran study found a strong connection between untreated sleep apnea and a higher chance of Parkinson’s. CPAP users had much lower odds of developing the condition. Researchers believe that repeated dips in oxygen during sleep may strain neurons over time. The results suggest that better sleep might help protect the brain.New findings indicate that people who do not treat obstructive sleep apnea face a greater likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease. Using continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, can help lower that risk by improving sleep quality and maintaining steady airflow throughout the night. The study was published on November 24 in JAMA Neurology and analyzed electronic health records from more than 11 million U.S. military veterans who received care through the Department of Veterans Affairs between 1999 and 2022. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System led the project. Parkinson's Risk Increases With Age Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder that affects an estimated 1 million people in the United States. The chance of developing the disease grows gradually each year after age 60. The new research suggests that long-term, untreated sleep apnea may contribute to a higher risk of Parkinson's. Strong Association After Adjusting for Key Factors Even after accounting for important contributors such as obesity, age and high blood pressure, the investigators still found a clear association between untreated sleep apnea and Parkinson's disease. Among the millions of veterans with sleep apnea, those who did not use CPAP were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's compared with individuals who used the therapy. "It's not at all a guarantee that you're going to get Parkinson's, but it significantly increases the chances," said co-author Gregory Scott, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology in the OHSU School of Medicine and a pathologist for at the VA Portland. How Sleep Apnea Affects the Brain Sleep apnea occurs when a person's breathing repeatedly stops and restarts during sleep, which can keep the body from getting sufficient oxygen. "If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either," said lead author Lee Neilson, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at OHSU and a staff neurologist at the Portland VA. "Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson's." Potential to Change Clinical Practice Neilson said the results reinforce the importance of prioritizing sleep health for his patients, particularly in light of the elevated Parkinson's risk revealed in the study. "I think it will change my practice," he said. Veterans Report Clear Benefits From CPAP Scott noted that some people with sleep apnea are hesitant to use CPAP, but he emphasized that many veterans have strongly positive experiences with the device. "The veterans who use their CPAP love it," he said. "They're telling other people about it. They feel better, they're less tired. Perhaps if others know about this reduction in risk of Parkinson's disease, it will further convince peopel with sleep apnea to give CPAP a try." Study Contributors and Funding Support In addition to Scott and Neilson, co-authors include Isabella Montano, B.A., Jasmin May, M.D., Ph.D., Jonathan Elliott, Ph.D., and Miranda Lim, M.D., Ph.D., of OHSU and the Portland VA Health Care System; and Yeilim Cho, M.D., and Jeffrey Iliff, Ph.D., of the University of Washington and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. The research received support from the VA through grant awards BX005760, CX00253, I01RX004822, I01RX005371, CX002022, BX006155 and Bx006155; the John and Tami Marick Family Foundation; the Collins Medical Trust; the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health, award P30AG066518; and the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5014, under award numbers HT9425-24-1-0774 and HT9425-24-1-0775. The authors note that the opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense, the NIH, VA or other funders.