Aging is the dominant risk factor in degenerative diseases. Many of the pressing age-related and neurodegenerative diseases have a profound impact on patients and their caregivers, yet have very limited treatment options. Alkahest has embarked upon a simple but elegant approach to treat disorders of aging by capitalizing on the body’s own natural regulatory and communication mechanisms, leveraging the plasma proteome. The promise of this science, and the potential to make a difference to patients around the world, was the founding principle of Alkahest.
Alkahest’s therapeutic agents stem from a deep understanding of the changing plasma proteome in healthy aging and in age-related diseases. As we age, the majority of our proteins stay the same. But about 15% of our proteins change substantially as we age, or as we contend with disease. It’s these proteins, the chronokines, which inspire Alkahest science. By targeting chronokines, we develop clinical candidates that either increase or decrease the levels of circulating chronokines to promote innate and natural restorative biological processes or discourage pathological, degenerative processes in age-related diseases.
Alkahest’s therapeutic approach and rich platform has so far delivered three candidates through discovery and into human clinical trials.
