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Israeli startup ProFuse Technology has launched a new drug discovery platform that seeks to prevent muscle mass loss caused by aging, cancer and the growing use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss injections, such as Ozempic.

Sarcopenia, age-related muscle loss, affects approximately 10 to 16 percent of individuals over 50 years of age, equating to around 13 million to 20 million Americans.

In addition, the rapid popularization of weight-loss shots, which is expected to skyrocket by 2030, has created a significant health concern due to unintended muscle loss associated with these drugs.

ProFuse specializes in skeletal muscle growth technologies, developing drugs for skeletal muscle loss and muscle regeneration that accurately reflects the structure and function of natural human muscle, as well as products for enhanced cultivated meat production.

The new platform will utilize ProFuse’s existing technology and advanced automation to discover new muscle-loss prevention drug candidates, and accurately predict which molecules have the potential to gain regulatory approval as new therapies.

ProFuse’s technology enables precise testing of many molecules, streamlining the research process and significantly reducing time, resources and costs, while also eliminating the need for extensive animal testing.

Guy Nevo-Michrowski, CEO and cofounder of the company, said: “Weight-loss drugs lead to muscle mass loss, prompting pharmaceutical companies to invest significant resources in developing innovative treatments that combine GLP-1 weight-loss drugs with muscle mass preservation therapies.

“As a result, several major deals in the muscle preservation drug sector have been signed in recent years, with transaction values reaching several billion dollars. This trend signals a significant window of opportunity for new technologies in this field, including ours.”

Leader in muscle growth technology

The startup was founded in 2021 by Nevo-Michrowski along with Prof. Eldad Tzahor and CTO Tamar Eigler-Hirsh from the Weizmann Institute of Science. It is based in Yokneam Illit in northern Israel.  

Eigler-Hirsh and Tzahor identified the natural process responsible for muscle regeneration and repair, paving the way for the development of an innovative technology that enables the efficient cultivation of muscle fibers under laboratory conditions.

The company has raised approximately $8 million, including $3 million in grants from the European Union and the Israel Innovation Authority, as well as $5 million from Israeli and US investment funds, alongside private investors.

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