Junevity, a biotechnology company on a mission to extend lifespan and healthspan with siRNA therapeutics, today announced a partnership with Sunrise BioVentures (“Sunrise”), a leading RNA therapeutics accelerator. Sunrise leadership comprises RNA veterans Andrew Fraley, Ph.D., Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., Stuart Milstein, Ph.D., and Laurence Reid, Ph.D., who focus on the rapid advancement of novel oligonucleotide therapeutics and platforms. The Sunrise team brings decades of experience spanning the discovery and development of siRNA and other nucleic acid therapeutics at pioneering companies, including Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Korro Bio, Judo Bio and Decibel Therapeutics.
The Sunrise team will provide active, strategic and operational guidance across Junevity’s siRNA development, preclinical validation, pipeline strategy and business development as the company advances its lead candidate, JUN_01, toward Phase 1 clinical trials for cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes, anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. JUN_01 is the first known siRNA candidate designed to reprogram metabolism to a healthier state, with preclinical studies demonstrating reduced inflammation, reduced cardiovascular risk markers, robust HbA1c reduction and improved insulin sensitivity, with dosing once every six to twelve months.
“As we prepare to bring JUN_01 into the clinic and expand our pipeline with the RESET Platform, we are assembling a team with deep, proven expertise in getting siRNA therapeutics to patients,” said John Hoekman, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Junevity. “Rachel, Stuart, Laurence and Andrew have collectively helped build the oligonucleotide therapeutics field from its earliest days including multiple products in the clinic and FDA approvals at Alnylam. Their guidance will be invaluable as we advance JUN_01 and grow our pipeline of cell reprogramming therapeutics for longevity.”
“In forming Sunrise BioVentures, we wanted to use our extensive experience developing RNA therapeutics to help a variety of startups accelerate their efforts to bring new RNA-driven modalities to market, and we are thrilled to announce one of our first collaborations as advisors to Junevity,” said Rachel Meyers, Managing Partner at Sunrise. “Junevity has built an exciting siRNA pipeline in a short time with strong scientific foundations, the RESET Platform and very promising data. We take on this strategic role based on our belief in the Junevity leadership team and the potential impact of JUN_01 and their pipeline.”
The appointments reinforce Junevity’s momentum following its $20 million financing, led by Goldcrest Capital and Godfrey Capital, and the publication of its foundational research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) validating that precise modulation of individual transcription factors can reverse core hallmarks of cellular aging and restore tissue function in vivo.
About the Sunrise Partners
Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., is an entrepreneurial scientist and recognized leader in RNA-based medicine with more than 25 years of drug discovery and development experience. She spent over 13 years at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President of Research and RNAi Lead Development, where she played a central role in advancing the company’s RNAi therapeutic programs from early discovery through clinical development. Dr. Meyers currently serves on the Board of Directors of Korro Bio and on the Alnylam Scientific Advisory Board, and holds advisory roles at CAMP4 Therapeutics and other biotech companies. She was previously the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Faze Medicines, a Third Rock Ventures–spawned biotech company. Dr. Meyers received her Ph.D. from MIT, where she trained with Nobel Laureate Phil Sharp, and completed postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School.
Stuart Milstein, Ph.D., has nearly two decades of experience in oligonucleotide therapeutics at the intersection of platform innovation and drug development. He currently holds active, strategic roles at Orfonyx Bio and Aerska. Stuart began his career at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he led the RNAi Lead Development group responsible for the optimization of all clinical candidates in the company’s pipeline. He contributed to multiple approved products, including Onpattro, the first approved RNAi therapeutic, and initiated the company’s efforts in CNS delivery of siRNA. He subsequently served as Vice President of Platform Biology at Korro Bio, where he helped establish the company’s RNA editing platform, and as Chief Platform Officer at Senda Biosciences. Dr. Milstein trained as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Laurence Reid, Ph.D., is a biotech entrepreneur, company builder and advisor with 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He previously served as CEO of Decibel Therapeutics, leading the company through its acquisition by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and as CEO of Warp Drive Bio through its merger with Revolution Medicines. Prior to that, Dr. Reid was Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw business development, finance and legal functions and played a leadership role in shaping major alliances, including partnerships with Sanofi/Genzyme, The Medicines Company, and Merck. He currently serves on the boards of KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Metagenomi Therapeutics, and a number of private biotechnology companies. Dr. Reid holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from King’s College London.
Andrew Fraley, Ph.D., is a serial entrepreneur and scientific innovator with more than 20 years of experience in nucleic acid technologies and therapeutics. He co-founded Judo Bio, where the team is pioneering siRNA delivery to the kidney, and Korro Bio, where he served as founding Chief Technology Officer and helped establish the company’s RNA editing platform. Dr. Fraley also co-founded Triplet Therapeutics and Trucode Gene Repair, and previously served as Head of Chemistry at Moderna Therapeutics and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Atlas Venture. He holds a Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from Boston College and completed postdoctoral research as a Chateaubriand Fellow at Louis Pasteur University.
About Junevity
Junevity is a biotechnology company developing siRNA therapeutics to reset global gene networks for longevity. The Junevity RESET platform is the first to use human disease omics, human genetic linkages and ML/AI to identify novel transcription factor targets and repress them with siRNA therapeutics. Initial programs are in cardiometabolism 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.
About Sunrise BioVentures
Sunrise BioVentures is an accelerator for RNA therapeutics. The Sunrise team works with entrepreneurs and innovators to define and plan the best path from concept of a new RNA-targeting therapeutic toward the demonstration of clinical efficacy. The mission of Sunrise is to deploy the experience of the managing team to develop new RNA therapeutics and advance business models that can generate value for stakeholders through distributed collaboration and efficient use of capital. Contact Sunrise at info@sunrisebioventures.com.
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