SUNNYVALE, CALIF. -- Rubedo Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing first-in-class therapies targeting senescent cells which drive age-related diseases, today announced the closing of a $40M Series A financing round. The round was led by Khosla Ventures and Ahren Innovation Capital, with participation from Hevolution, R42, Modi Ventures, Cerigo Investments, Shanda Group, Refactor Capital, LongeVC, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), and other investors.

The funding will be used to advance the company’s lead candidate RLS-1496 in chronic atopic dermatitis and chronic psoriasis, which will be entering Phase 1 studies. Rubedo is also developing additional therapies that selectively target senescent cells in pulmonary diseases with significant unmet medical need, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), with a program recipient of a substantial CIRM grant last year.

“We’re delighted to attract this top-tier syndicate co-led by Khosla Ventures and Ahren Innovation Capital. This significant influx of financing will allow us to advance our first clinical candidate into human studies,” said Marco Quarta, CEO & Co-Founder of Rubedo Life Sciences.

“As people live longer, improving quality of life is paramount,” said Alex Morgan, Partner, Khosla Ventures. “Rubedo is targeting senescent, or aging, cells that drive age-related diseases. This first trial can bring us another step closer to achieving better healthspan.”

“Our mission is to invest in transformational companies that will change the world for the better, serving vast markets,” said Alice Newcombe Ellis, Founding & General Partner, Ahren Innovation Capital. “We believe that Rubedo’s transformative approach to targeting senescent cells is an impressive step towards the development of chronic age-related therapies, which will advance biotech from treatment to prevention or disease reversal.”

“The significant experience and capital that our investors bring to Rubedo will help the company rapidly advance our programs,” said Ali Siam, Chief Business Officer, Rubedo Life Sciences. “We look forward to working with these leaders, whose vast experience in clinical development will be invaluable as we enter the next phase of growth at Rubedo.”

Rubedo’s Alembic drug discovery platform enables the identification of specific druggable targets for development into therapeutics that selectively target pathologic cells, such as various types of senescent cells, that drive the process of biological aging. Senescence is the process by which a cell ages and permanently stops dividing but does not die. Any cell can potentially become senescent. Over time, large numbers of senescent cells can build up in tissues throughout the body and release pathologic factors. When they reach a critical mass, they cause chronic inflammation and damage leading to fibrosis and tissue degeneration which drive many age-related diseases.