PMGC's NorthStrive and Yuva Biosciences expand AI drug discovery pact
The companies amended their license agreement to launch a three-phase Expansion Program advancing four AI-discovered compounds toward lead nomination in cardiac disease and obesity.
NorthStrive Biosciences, a subsidiary of PMGC Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB), and Yuva Biosciences, Inc. executed a First Amendment to their Development and License Agreement on August 27, 2026, as disclosed in an 8-K filed by PMGC. The Amendment formalizes the launch of a three-phase Expansion Program to advance all four AI-discovered compounds toward lead compound nomination and updates key terms including AI Development Program scope, the IP framework, governing developed technology, field of use definitions, and associated financial terms.1
The Expansion Program builds on positive Phase III results announced July 1, 2026, in which four small-molecule candidates selected by Yuva Biosciences' MitoNova AI-powered platform showed statistically significant increases in ANT1, a mitochondrial protein central to skeletal muscle energy metabolism, in primary human skeletal muscle cells.1 The program is expected to take approximately 6 months and will culminate in the nomination of a lead compound and designated backup for further development.1
The three phases proceed sequentially: Phase I establishes a qualified assay and standard operating procedure; Phase II confirms ANT1 induction in a more mature muscle model and produces ranked go/no-go data for each compound; and Phase III profiles lead candidates against Yuva Biosciences' Mitochondrial Biogenesis Panel, quantifies cellular ATP output, and delivers an integrated mechanism-of-action hypothesis alongside the lead nomination.1
The Amendment also grants NorthStrive a right of first refusal, during the agreement's term and for one year after Phase III completion, to negotiate an exclusive license across the broader cardiometabolic field.1
The companies caution that outcomes remain uncertain. The Expansion Program consists of experimental research and development activities whose results are inherently uncertain, prior results are preliminary in vitro findings, and there is no assurance any candidate will perform similarly in future testing, or that NorthStrive or Yuva Biosciences will successfully complete the program, nominate a lead or backup compound, or generate revenue from it.1
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