Lento Bio, an Ichor Life Sciences Portfolio Company, Launches with Aims to Develop Anti-Glycation Drugs for Presbyopia and Diseases of Aging

Potsdam, N.Y. –. Lento Bio, Inc., a preclinical pharmaceutical company focused on developing small-molecule therapeutics to target molecular damage driving age-related disease, announced its launch today. The company will initially focus on developing pharmaceutical eyedrops to treat a common vision disorder, presbyopia, or age-related farsightedness. Lento Bio will be supported and incubated by Ichor Life Sciences, a pre-clinical contract research organization, at Clarkson University’s Peyton Hall Biotechnology Incubator. Lento Bio is the first start-up company to join Ichor in establishing a North Country biotechnology cluster.

Presbyopia is caused by stiffening of the eye lens, which stems from molecular crosslinks including advanced glycation end products (AGE) that cause tissue rigidity. The small molecule drugs being developed by Lento Bio will target underlying molecular damage accumulation with the goal of reversing the process of tissue-stiffening in the ocular lens. Upon successful completion of its first project, Lento Bio plans to apply its anti-glycation products more widely to include systemic diseases of aging.

Lento Bio was founded and will be led by Dr. Kris Barnes as CEO. Dr. Barnes received a Ph.D. from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and subsequently worked as a consultant for pharmaceutical and biotech companies developing novel disease treatments. He brings experience in ophthalmology basic science research as well as disease-indication specific industry knowledge.

“Lento Bio is starting from a solid foundation of established research into molecular aging damage and will focus development efforts towards the most accessible and relevant disease indications. Through bringing the problem to the science we aim to accelerate the creation of clinical assets and validate our disease hypothesis,” says Dr. Barnes. “We look forward towards collaborating with the scientific teams at Ichor and Clarkson University to pursue research and development of small molecule drugs.”

“We see tremendous potential in Lento Bio’s approach to target myriad systemic diseases,” says Dr. Kelsey Moody, Ph.D., MBA, CEO, Ichor Life Sciences. “The launch of Lento Bio further strengthens Ichor as a company committed to driving innovation to address the underlying, complex conditions behind age-related and systemic diseases.”

“Clarkson and the Lewis School of Health Sciences are excited to be associated with Ichor Life Sciences and the launching of LentoBio.” says Lenn Johns, PhD, ATC, founding Dean of the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences at Clarkson University. “Both are engaged in developing next generation approaches aimed at transforming healthcare.”

Lento Bio was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Potsdam, NY. For more information go to lentobio.com