LinkGevity Awarded Innovate UK Smart Grant for Anti-Necrotic™ Research to Prevent Kidney Deterioration
LONDON, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LinkGevity, an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on revolutionising the treatment of ageing, today announces it has been awarded a Smart Grant by the National Innovation Agency of the UK Government, Innovate UK. The Smart Grant will be used in a one-year project involving the company's Anti-Necrotic™ technology, specifically around acute tubular necrosis (ATN), which is a leading cause of kidney dysfunction, degeneration and ageing. Financial details are not disclosed.
By preserving organ function at the molecular level, through addressing the core mechanisms of unprogrammed cell death in ATN, LinkGevity could transform treatment pathways for patients at risk of kidney failure.
Dr Carina Kern, CEO and co-founder of LinkGevity, said: 'Being selected for an Innovate UK Smart Grant, where the competition is tough, is another endorsement of the potential of our approach. Necrosis has been an unresolved challenge in medical science for decades. It is a key driver of ageing biology and the loss of resilience with age as well as age-related diseases such as kidney disease and damage. This project will help us deliver a transformative solution that improves long-term organ health. With our Anti-Necrotic™ technology, we are pioneering a solution that could protect vital organs and the kidney in particular, from irreversible damage and ageing.'
Serena Kern-Libera, LinkGevity's COO and co-founder, added: 'We are thrilled to have secured another note-worthy grant, which supports us in bringing our Anti-Necrotic™ technology to patients. As with last month's announcement about our selection for the prestigious Francis Crick Institute KQ Labs programme, and our inclusion in the NASA Space-H programme, we're delighted to be building momentum around our Anti-Necrotic™ approach and pushing the boundaries of innovation in medical science.'
The kidneys are among the most vulnerable organs to necrosis-related damage. Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2024), rising sharply in the last two decades due to ageing populations and increasing comorbidities. Patients with kidney disease have few treatment options beyond dialysis or transplantation, both of which come with severe limitations, including high costs to healthcare systems, poor quality of life, long waiting times and high rejection rates.
Traditional drug discovery approaches, which generally focus on single therapeutics for specific diseases, have struggled with age-related diseases which are by nature multifactorial. LinkGevity's technology platform seeks to disrupt this model by developing therapeutics that target key pathways across multiple diseases, offering the potential for a more comprehensive and effective approach to preventing age-related deterioration.
About LinkGevityLinkGevity is an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on revolutionising the treatment of ageing. Guided by its proprietary Blueprint Theory of Ageing—developed by Dr. Carina Kern in collaboration with leading doctors and longevity experts—LinkGevity identifies and targets key 'pathological pathways.' These pathways are the molecular 'source' of destructive cascades underlying multiple age-related conditions and biological decline. By precisely targeting these pathological pathways with broad-spectrum therapeutics, LinkGevity aims to halt age-related deterioration.
The company's flagship therapeutic is a first-in-class Anti-Necrotic™, which targets one such pathological pathway: necrosis. It has earned a prestigious Horizon Europe grant from the European Union alongside UK government funding. LinkGevity was also selected as one of only 12 companies globally for the NASA/Microsoft Space-Health Program, due to the Anti-Necrotic's™ potential in preventing accelerated ageing and tissue degeneration in astronauts.
Necrosis, derived from the Greek word nékrōsis, meaning 'death', refers to the uncontrolled and irreversible death of cells, tissues, and organs, ultimately leading to tissue degeneration. Necrosis has long been a critical barrier in the treatment of chronic and age-related diseases and has hindered advancement in scientific fields such as bioengineering, cryopreservation, and organ preservation.
The company plans to initiate a flagship clinical trial later this year, using an accelerated ageing model in the kidney.
Based at the Babraham Research Campus, affiliated with the University of Cambridge, UK, LinkGevity is committed to transforming healthcare through cutting-edge science and innovation.
For more information see the website and follow the company on LinkedIn.
Media Contacts
LinkGevitySerena Kern-Libera, LinkGevity's COO and co-founderserena@linkgevity.com
Scius CommunicationsKatja Stout +447789435990katja@sciuscommunications.com
Daniel Gooch +447747875479daniel@sciuscommunications.comSign in to access your portfolio
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