Elastin Biosciences

Elastin Biosciences (EB) is a self-described “emerging” longevity biotech company focused on developing small-molecule therapies to address diseases driven by the loss of and defects in elastin. It is a spinoff company of Longaevus Technologies but is still listed in its portfolio, with leadership including CEO Sherif Idriss, Chief Scientist Alexey Moskalev, and Director of Research Alexander Fedintsev.

As the name suggests, elastin is a key protein that gives tissues elasticity. The age-related loss of — and progressive damage to — elastin structures is due to both the deactivation of elastin synthesis under physiological conditions during early development and its progressive degradation. Mechanical stress, protein-degrading enzymes, and free radicals damage elastin as we age, leading to the loss of elasticity in aging tissues. Damaged elastin contributes to age-related stiffening of the arteries (and thus hypertension, kidney disease, aneurysm, and stroke), the lungs (and hence age-related loss of lung capacity, emphysema, and perhaps idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), amongst other tissues.

In September 2023, EB announced that they had “identified three novel drug combinations that inhibit elastin degradation and foster its deposition, leading to an increase in elastin expression by 5-fold, and improving aortic elasticity in aged mice in-vivo” and had “secured an initial funding of $2.5 million,” without mentioning the source or type of funding. CEO Idriss said in an interview “that the quality of the elastin fibers is actually very good as well,” and that they had observed no side effects in the mice other than itching at the injection site.

In June 2024, EB announced the results of a new mouse study that confirmed the results of the pilot study described above, with a 5X increase in elastin expression and improved aortic tensile strength, along with improvements in “overall metabolic profile and reduced pro-inflammatory markers” and a “marked increase in elastin deposition biomarkers,” “without adverse effects”. It also led to “enhanced coat color (from spotted gray to all black), better coat quality with less damage, and improved behavioral markers in tests assessing mobility and anxiety,” according to the company. In an August 2024 interview by Idriss, he added that “treated mice exhibited more exploratory behavior and physical activity, indicating better overall health.”

In the June 2024 press release and Idriss’ August 2024 interview, EB highlighted their candidates’ potential to treat conditions such as abdominal aortic aneurysm and Williams syndrome, a congenital disease caused by a spontaneous deletion in the 7q11.23 chromosomal region that results in haploinsufficient expression of roughly 27 genes. Among the affected genes is ELN, the gene that codes for elastin. This leads to abnormalities in connective tissue, including supravalvular aortic stenosis. EB also noted their potential to treat “numerous age-related diseases, including those associated with the skin, lungs, and blood vessels.” In the earlier November 2023 interview, Idriss also indicated that their initial indications would likely include abdominal aortic aneurysm, but added Marfan syndrome without mentioning Williams Syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissues caused by mutations in FBN1, a gene that is involved in synthesizing fibrillin, a glycoprotein that forms a microfibril scaffold required for the formation of elastin fibers.

Moreover, Idriss stated in the 2023 interview that “We are immediately starting a lifespan study in mice on these drug combinations” and “want to demonstrate that we have anti-inflammatory effects, that we have health effects on the brain, and that we have positive effects on other organs as well, including the liver.” Later, in a 2024 interview, he stated that “Our preclinical studies have shown that our therapies … extend the life of mice.” By contrast, Ivan Morgunov — the CEO of Longaevus Technologies, of which EB is a spinout and which still lists EB as a portfolio company  — said in a 2025 interview that they had not and had no plans to conduct a lifespan study, since it would be frowned upon by investors.

In the pipeline section of its homepage, these drugs are identified as EB-101 through EB-104 and are said (as of August 2025) to have undergone preclinical proof-of-concept studies but not yet IND-enabling studies — the same status described in the September 2023 press release. In the August 2024 interview, Idriss said that EB is “in the early stages of planning clinical trials in Williams syndrome and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).” Additionally, candidates EB-105 to EB-108 are said to be under investigation for cardiovascular and dermatological indications.

On its homepage, the company says it “develops a continuous pipeline of small molecules using cheminformatics, testing on human cells followed by testing on disease models of Elastin-related diseases.” In seeming contrast, CEO Idriss said in an interview that EB began with a “classical approach” to drug discovery, “looking at the literature to identify potential combinations of existing compounds – including drugs already approved for other indications and those still in the research phase,” emphasizing the many potential candidates that had previously been studied in skin and testing them in aorta.