Regenerative medicine startup aims to regenerate damaged tissues, modulate chronic inflammation and extend functional healthspan.
Longevity biotech ReParris has launched with the goal of developing small-molecule therapies that target inflammation-driven degeneration and address the root causes of age-related diseases. The regenerative medicine company says it is on a mission to redefining aging as a treatable condition, expanding on its initial focus on canine longevity to address human health.
ReParris was founded by R Rex Parris, Mayor of Lancaster, California, and Dr Denis Evseenko, a professor of stem cell research and regenerative medicine at USC. The company’s therapeutic approach focuses on harnessing the body’s natural repair mechanisms to slow, halt and potentially reverse the progression of age-related diseases.
“Our current approach to aging is reactive, costly and unsustainable,” said Evseenko. “ReParris is advancing first-in-class small molecules designed to regenerate damaged tissues, modulate chronic inflammation and extend functional healthspan. The goal is not just to live longer, but to ensure that added years are healthy, productive and disease-free.”
Building on over a decade of research conducted at USC, the formation of ReParris centers on the role of chronic inflammation as a key driver of age-related diseases. The company says its initial development pipeline includes treatments for pulmonary fibrosis, sepsis-related complications in older people and canine aging as a model for human longevity.
The focus on canine longevity stems from its Evseenko’s work to develop inflammation targeting therapeutics for dogs. Dogs experience age-related diseases on an accelerated timeline compared to humans, making them a popular model for testing longevity interventions. Insights gained from the company’s work in this area are expected to inform its progress towards therapeutics for humans.
ReParris is advocating for regulatory reforms to expedite access to age-related therapies. The company argues that the current regulatory framework lags behind scientific progress, slowing the approval of potentially life-saving treatments, calling for age-related therapies to qualify for expedited access pathways similar to those used for oncology drugs.
“Medical innovation must outpace regulatory stagnation,” said Parris, a longtime advocate for disruptive healthcare models. “The newly appointed HHS Secretary, Robert F Kennedy, Jr, has an opportunity to modernize regulatory frameworks and expand access to investigational treatments for terminally ill patients. The United States must remain the global leader in longevity biotechnology, ensuring that life-extending treatments reach those in need.”
Photographs courtesy of ReParris