Scottsdale, Arizona-based Jocasta Neuroscience has secured a direct license from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) covering α-klotho-based therapeutics, replacing an earlier sublicense it had held through Unity Biotechnology (UBX) and extinguishing all remaining milestone and royalty obligations to Unity in the process.
The agreement, executed through UCSF Innovation Ventures, grants Jocasta exclusive rights to UCSF's α-klotho intellectual property across a broad therapeutic scope: neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as mental and mood disorders, neural impairments from injury or illness, and enhancement of cognitive and motor function. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Jocasta's lead asset, JN-0413, is a proprietary formulation of α-klotho protein described by the company as targeting cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative-induced dementia. The company said it expects to initiate Phase I human trials in early 2027, with an investigational new drug (IND) submission targeted for Q4 2026. The asset remains in preclinical development.
The deal simplifies Jocasta's IP structure following the dissolution of Unity Biotechnology, from which Jocasta had previously obtained its sublicense. Unity shareholders approved the company's dissolution in September 2025, and the company subsequently filed a certificate of dissolution. The new agreement establishes a direct licensing relationship between Jocasta and UCSF while eliminating Jocasta's remaining obligations to Unity.
The IP chain has a clear history. UCSF originally licensed the α-klotho program to Unity in May 2019. Unity out-licensed it to Jocasta in December 2021, as part of a broader retreat toward its senolytic ophthalmology focus. The 2026 UCSF agreement supersedes that sublicense structure entirely, with the press release explicitly stating Jocasta has no further obligations to Unity under the original agreement.