Rubedo Life Sciences and SVAX Announce Strategic Partnership During FII Week in Riyadh

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc. (Rubedo), a leading AI-driven, clinical-stage biotech specializing in selective cellular rejuvenation medicines, today announced a strategic partnership with SVAX during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) week in Riyadh. This collaboration will focus on advancing RLS-1946, Rubedo’s promising lead candidate, through Phase 2 clinical trials in the Kingdom of Saud Arabia and the Emirate of Dubai.

Expanded Details

Strategic Footprint Expansion: The partnership underscores Rubedo’s integration into Hevolution’s portfolio, highlighting the region’s strategic importance in healthspan research and the life sciences.

Key Collaborators: SVAX, a leading Saudi vaccine and biologics manufacturer and clinical research organization (CRO), in conjunction with Fakeeh Care Group, will facilitate regulatory filings and clinical trial conduct, boosting Rubedo’s clinical capabilities in the GCC region. SVAX will support Rubedo’s regulatory filings in Saudi Arabia and the conduct of its planned Phase 2 Atopic Dermatitis clinical trial in the Kingdom and the Emirate of Dubai.

This announcement comes on the heels of the U.S. FDA clearance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a Phase 1b/2a study with lead drug candidate RLS-1496 in patients with actinic keratosis. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) study is expected to begin in Q2 2026.

“In our earliest meetings with the Hevolution team, we were convinced that Saudi Arabia and the GCC had the potential to play a leading role in healthy longevity science,” said Rubedo CBO Ali Siam. “This partnership with SVAX will translate this vision into reality by partnering with one of the leading pillars of the Saudi Vision 2030 National Biotech Strategy. We were honored to be joined in the signing ceremony by our new partner, Prof. Mazen Hassanain, Managing Director and CEO of SVAX, and Hevolution Foundation SVP of Research, HRH Princess Dr. Haya Bint Khaled Bin Bandar Al Saud, a leading voice of healthspan and healthy longevity both globally and in the Kingdom.”

Prof. Mazen Hassanain, Managing Director and CEO of SVAX said, “We are thrilled to be working with the Rubedo team to bring this innovative therapy to Saudi Arabia, particularly when conditions like Atopic Dermatitis and Vitiligo are such high areas of unmet need in our region. Ali and I had been discussing our shared vision for catalyzing high science in the Kingdom, and as the pieces of the Saudi National Biotech Strategy came together, this became a clear win.”

“As a truly global longevity therapeutics company, we are thrilled to be partnering with SVAX to incorporate patient populations that have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials - particularly in Atopic Dermatitis,” said Rubedo CEO, Dr. Frederick Beddingfield. “This disease has a significant treatment burden in Saudi Arabia - studies have found the prevalence as high as 30%¹ of the adult population - and we know from published studies and meta-analyses that this disease presents differently across ethnicities² and that this has been an ongoing challenge in the standard of care worldwide. Incorporating study sites at the crossroads of three continents will help provide a more representative overall patient population for the evaluation of RLS-1496 in this important condition.”

“At Hevolution, we’re driving global advancements in healthspan science. We’re thrilled by Rubedo Life Science’s pivotal step with RLS-1946 entering Phase 2 trials. Teaming up with SVAX for this GCC trial underscores our region’s rapid growth in clinical research capabilities and our commitment to elevating healthspan science capability and capacity in Saudi Arabia. This collaboration is set to revolutionize geroscience and fortify the regional biotech landscape,” said Hevolution SVP of Research HRH Princess Dr. Haya Bint Khaled bin Bandar Al Saud.

About RLS-1496 and GPX4 Modulation

Rubedo’s lead candidate RLS-1496, being developed for topical and oral administration, is a first-in-class, potentially disease-modifying selective GPX4 modulator targeting pathologic senescent or “aged” cells that drive chronic degenerative diseases and conditions associated with biological aging processes. These include immunology and inflammation (I&I), dermatology and skin aging, metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, liver fibrosis), sarcopenia, and neurodegenerative disease. In certain pathologic cells, aging is associated with an imbalance in GPX4. Modulation of GPX4 sensitizes cells to ferroptosis, which is a type of programmed cell death and is believed to be an achilles heel of senescent “zombie” cells. By modulating GPX4 in ferroptosis-sensitive senescent “aged” cells, RLS-1496 may be able to clear these cells to not only fight disease, but also support healthy cells to function properly and restore tissue homeostasis.

About Rubedo Life Sciences

Rubedo Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biotech developing a broad portfolio of innovative selective cellular rejuvenation medicines targeting aging cells that drive chronic age-related diseases. Our proprietary AI-driven ALEMBIC™ drug discovery platform is developing novel first-in-class small molecules to selectively target pathologic and senescent cells, which play a key role in the progression of pulmonary, dermatological, oncological, neurodegenerative, fibrotic, and other chronic disorders. Our lead drug candidate – RLS-1496, a potential first-in-class disease-modifying selective GPX4 modulator – is currently in Phase I clinical trials. The Rubedo leadership team is composed of industry leaders and early pioneers in chemistry, AI technology, longevity science, and life sciences, with expertise in drug development and commercialization from both large pharmaceutical and leading biotechnology companies. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, USA, and has offices in Milan, Italy. For additional information, visit www.rubedolife.com.

About Hevolution Foundation

Established by Royal Order in 2018 and launched in 2021, Hevolution Foundation is a first-of-its kind global non-profit organization that incentives grants and early-stage investments to accelerate independent research and entrepreneurship in the emerging field of healthspan science. With a focus on aging as a treatable process, Hevolution aims to propel aging and geroscience research forward and support a cutting-edge global ecosystem of talent. Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a North American hub in Boston and plans for further international expansion, the Foundation has set key goals and targets to advance its Vision & Mission. Over the last three years, Hevolution has allocated over $400M in funding.

¹ ZahrAllayali et al. The Prevalence, Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Atopic Dermatitis among Adult Population in Saudi Arabia. Dermatology and Dermatitis, 2024 Nov;9(7):01-11 DOI:10.31579/2578-8949/152 https://doi.org/10.31579/2578-8949/152

² Brunner PM, Guttman-Yassky E. Racial differences in atopic dermatitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2019 May;122(5):449-455. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2018.11.015. Epub 2018 Nov 20. PMID: 30465859.

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