PMGC subsidiary reports positive Phase III results from AI drug discovery work with Yuva Biosciences

PMGC Holdings Inc.'s subsidiary NorthStrive Biosciences Inc. announced on July 1, 2026 that it received positive results from Phase III of its AI-driven drug discovery program conducted with partner Yuva Biosciences, Inc.¹

The phase was built to check the biological activity of a select group of small-molecule candidates that Yuva's proprietary MitoNova AI platform had chosen for testing.¹ Researchers ran the candidates through an in vitro assay in primary human skeletal muscle cells that measured expression of ANT1, a mitochondrial protein tied to energy metabolism in muscle.¹

Four compounds, labeled C1 through C4, showed increased ANT1 expression, according to results Yuva Biosciences prepared, with the top performers showing dose-dependent induction¹. Yuva's report named C1, C2 and C4 as the strongest and most dose-consistent ANT1 inducers, while C3 also moved forward as a candidate based on statistically significant activity at the highest tested dose.¹ On magnitude, C2 showed increases up to 50%, C4 up to 48%, and C1 up to 46%, while C3 posted a 29% increase at its highest dose.¹

Yuva's team suggested moving forward with the four compounds by testing them in "a more mature and energy-demanding skeletal muscle model," aiming to confirm the ANT1 effect and reduce risk before further development, the company said. NorthStrive and Yuva Biosciences are now weighing next steps, including confirmatory testing, and the proposed next stage would check whether the ANT1 induction seen in the initial cell testing holds up in a model that more closely resembles adult skeletal muscle biology.¹

The companies had previously said Phase III would use Yuva's improved sixth-generation classifier models for a more refined candidate selection and a more thorough in vitro validation step, with results expected in the second quarter of 2026.¹

The release cautions that the results are based on in vitro testing and are preliminary, and the company cannot guarantee similar activity in future testing, different models, animal studies, clinical studies, or commercial use.¹