Cleara Biotech

Pre-clinical

Leiden, NetherlandsFounded 2019clearabiotech.com

Cleara Biotech is advancing a novel therapeutic paradigm by targeting distinct subtypes of senescent cells, which are drivers of chronic diseases and cancer progression. Its core technology is a FOXO4/p53-based D-amino acid peptide platform, from which it has optimized two lead candidates, CL04177 and CL04183, targeting 'scarred' senescence. The company, founded on seminal academic research from the University Medical Center Utrecht, is led by a team with deep expertise in senescence biology and clinical development, and is preparing its lead programs for clinical trials in solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

Founded

2019

Focus

Small Molecules

AI Company Overview

Technology Platform

A proprietary platform for designing D-amino acid peptide therapeutics that selectively disrupt protein-protein interactions to eliminate specific subtypes of senescent cells, guided by companion diagnostic biomarkers.

Funding History

Total raised: $12.8M

Series A$10MErasmus MCOct 15, 2022

Seed$2.8MErasmus MCJun 15, 2021

Opportunities

The primary opportunity is to establish a new class of precision senolytic drugs, first in high-need metastatic cancers and later across a wide spectrum of senescence-associated chronic diseases and aging.

Success could position Cleara as a category-defining leader in the multi-billion dollar healthspan extension market.

Risk Factors

Key risks include the unproven clinical validity of targeting senescence subtypes, the development challenges of peptide therapeutics, navigating a novel regulatory pathway for senolytics, and intense competition from larger, well-funded players in the rapidly evolving field.

Competitive Landscape

Cleara competes with companies developing broad-spectrum senolytics (e.g., Unity Biotechnology). Its key differentiation is a precision medicine approach targeting specific 'scarred' senescence subtypes using a stable D-amino acid peptide platform, aiming for improved safety and efficacy by sparing beneficial senescent cells.