Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc., an AI-powered, clinical-stage biotech firm specializing in selective cellular rejuvenation therapies, has unveiled a strategic partnership with SVAX at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) week in Riyadh. This collaboration aims to accelerate the development of RLS-1946, Rubedo’s leading candidate, as it progresses through Phase 2 clinical trials in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
Expanded Details
Strategic Footprint Expansion: The partnership underscores Rubedo’s integration into Hevolution’s portfolio, highlighting the region’s strategic importance in healthspan research and the life sciences.
Key Collaborators: SVAX, a leading Saudi vaccine and biologics manufacturer and clinical research organization (CRO), in conjunction with Fakeeh Care Group, will facilitate regulatory filings and clinical trial conduct, boosting Rubedo’s clinical capabilities in the GCC region. SVAX will support Rubedo’s regulatory filings in Saudi Arabia and the conduct of its planned Phase 2 Atopic Dermatitis clinical trial in the Kingdom and the Emirate of Dubai.
This announcement comes on the heels of the U.S. FDA clearance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a Phase 1b/2a study with lead drug candidate RLS-1496 in patients with actinic keratosis. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) study is expected to begin in Q2 2026.
“In our earliest meetings with the Hevolution team, we were convinced that Saudi Arabia and the GCC had the potential to play a leading role in healthy longevity science,” said Rubedo CBO Ali Siam. “This partnership with SVAX will translate this vision into reality by partnering with one of the leading pillars of the Saudi Vision 2030 National Biotech Strategy. We were honored to be joined in the signing ceremony by our new partner, Prof. Mazen Hassanain, Managing Director and CEO of SVAX, and Hevolution Foundation SVP of Research, HRH Princess Dr. Haya Bint Khaled Bin Bandar Al Saud, a leading voice of healthspan and healthy longevity both globally and in the Kingdom.”
Prof. Mazen Hassanain, Managing Director and CEO of SVAX said, “We are thrilled to be working with the Rubedo team to bring this innovative therapy to Saudi Arabia, particularly when conditions like Atopic Dermatitis and Vitiligo are such high areas of unmet need in our region. Ali and I had been discussing our shared vision for catalyzing high science in the Kingdom, and as the pieces of the Saudi National Biotech Strategy came together, this became a clear win.”
“As a truly global longevity therapeutics company, we are thrilled to be partnering with SVAX to incorporate patient populations that have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials – particularly in Atopic Dermatitis,” said Rubedo CEO, Dr. Frederick Beddingfield. “This disease has a significant treatment burden in Saudi Arabia – studies have found the prevalence as high as 30%1 of the adult population – and we know from published studies and meta-analyses that this disease presents differently across ethnicities2 and that this has been an ongoing challenge in the standard of care worldwide. Incorporating study sites at the crossroads of three continents will help provide a more representative overall patient population for the evaluation of RLS-1496 in this important condition.”
“At Hevolution, we’re driving global advancements in healthspan science. We’re thrilled by Rubedo Life Science’s pivotal step with RLS-1946 entering Phase 2 trials. Teaming up with SVAX for this GCC trial underscores our region’s rapid growth in clinical research capabilities and our commitment to elevating healthspan science capability and capacity in Saudi Arabia. This collaboration is set to revolutionize geroscience and fortify the regional biotech landscape,” said Hevolution SVP of Research HRH Princess Dr. Haya Bint Khaled bin Bandar Al Saud.
Suggested Reading: PharmaJet® and EVA Pharma Announce Distribution Agreement.
