Company
UNITY Biotechnology
Scores have not been assigned.
Source Summary
9 reviewed sources across 3 source categories.
- Company filings / disclosures5
- Trial registries3
- Original scientific reports1
Company Snapshot
Event dates and registry update dates remain distinct.
Executive Summary
UNITY Biotechnology pursued therapies directed at senescent cells. Its lead retinal program, foselutoclax, also called UBX1325, was designed to inhibit the survival protein BCL-xL. This is a historical company profile: Unity Biotechnology, Inc. filed for dissolution effective 26 September 2025, after ceasing clinical development.
Why It Matters
The record lets readers follow a biological idea through specific clinical tests and a company wind-down. It does not prove that every senolytic strategy fails, nor does it establish a later owner or revival of these assets. A future development story would need a named rights holder, an exact protocol and new evidence, while retaining the earlier results.
Platform / Pipeline Overview
| Program | Mechanism / pathway | Stage / status | Source type | Evidence boundary | Caution note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foselutoclax / UBX1325 | BCL-xL inhibition | Historical clinical development | Issuer filing / disclosure / Original scientific article / Sponsor-submitted trial registry | ASPIRE failed its primary noninferiority analysis. | BEHOLD, ASPIRE and ENVISION are distinct studies. |
| UBX0101 | Not advanced to pivotal studies | Issuer filing / disclosure / Sponsor-submitted trial registry | Failed the 12-week knee-pain primary endpoint. | Historical knee-osteoarthritis program; separate from the retinal studies. |
Related Trials
| Registry ID | Status / phase | Relationship | What it supports | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06011798 | Completed; historical ASPIRE study | ASPIRE (NCT06011798) enrolled 52 participants with diabetic macular edema and compared UBX1325 with aflibercept. Its primary noninferiority analysis used visual-acuity change averaged over weeks 20 and 24; that primary analysis failed. ASPIRE and BEHOLD are listed as completed, with results posted. A completed status is not a successful efficacy result. | The specific trial identity, design or dated status cited in this profile. | A failed drug/indication or corporate dissolution cannot by itself settle whether every senolytic approach is effective. |
| NCT04857996 | Completed; separate BEHOLD study | BEHOLD (NCT04857996) was a separate 65-person sham-controlled study with safety as its primary objective. Its published week-48 visual-acuity difference was 5.6 letters, with a 95% confidence interval of -1.5 to 12.7. ASPIRE and BEHOLD are listed as completed, with results posted. A completed status is not a successful efficacy result. | The specific trial identity, design or dated status cited in this profile. | A failed drug/indication or corporate dissolution cannot by itself settle whether every senolytic approach is effective. |
| NCT04129944 | Historical UBX0101 knee study | UBX0101 failed to separate from placebo on its 12-week knee-pain primary endpoint; the company decided against pivotal development. ENVISION also failed its 24-week UBX1325-monotherapy noninferiority comparison in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. | The specific trial identity, design or dated status cited in this profile. | A failed drug/indication or corporate dissolution cannot by itself settle whether every senolytic approach is effective. |
Timeline / Milestones
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ASPIRE primary analysis failed
Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Repeat Intravitreal Injections of Foselutoclax (UBX1325) in Patients With DME (ASPIRE) / UNITY May 5 2025 ASPIRE results and corporate update exhibit
ASPIRE (NCT06011798) enrolled 52 participants with diabetic macular edema and compared UBX1325 with aflibercept. Its primary noninferiority analysis used visual-acuity change averaged over weeks 20 and 24; that primary analysis failed. The company reported more favorable later timepoints and a subgroup. Those observations do not turn the failed primary analysis into a positive primary result.
-
Dissolution became effective
UNITY certificate of dissolution / UNITY dissolution 8-K
Unity Biotechnology, Inc. filed a certificate of dissolution effective 26 September 2025.
Source Posture
Company filings / disclosures
The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit.
Trial registries
Sponsor-submitted design/status metadata; posted or completed status does not establish efficacy.
Original scientific reports
Original results abstract checked. Peer review does not establish independent replication.
Editorial interpretation
A failed drug/indication or corporate dissolution cannot by itself settle whether every senolytic approach is effective.
Evidence / Claim Boundary
The result that matters most
ASPIRE compared UBX1325 with aflibercept in 52 people with diabetic macular edema. Its primary test asked whether visual-acuity improvement, averaged over weeks 20 and 24, met a prespecified noninferiority criterion. It did not. The company subsequently highlighted more favorable later timepoints and a subgroup, but those observations do not replace the failed primary analysis.
Earlier evidence needs its own label
BEHOLD was a different, sham-controlled study of 65 participants, with safety as its primary objective. Its published week-48 visual-acuity estimate favored UBX1325 by 5.6 letters, but the confidence interval ranged from -1.5 to 12.7 letters and included no difference. The publication called for larger trials. BEHOLD and ASPIRE should therefore remain separate in any assessment.
Other failures remain part of the history
The earlier UBX0101 knee-osteoarthritis program missed its pain endpoint and was not advanced into pivotal studies. In retinal disease, ENVISION did not establish noninferiority for UBX1325 monotherapy at 24 weeks. A completed trial registry entry is an administrative status; it does not reverse these clinical findings.
What This Does Not Prove
Evidence limits
A failed drug/indication or corporate dissolution cannot by itself settle whether every senolytic approach is effective.
Detailed Sources
View detailed source table
Company filings / disclosures
| Source | Type | Supports | Limitation | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITY definitive dissolution proxy | Issuer filing / disclosure | Cessation of clinical development in the issuer dissolution history. | The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit. | Original source |
| UNITY dissolution 8-K | Issuer filing / disclosure | Dissolution disclosure; no subsequent owner established. | The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit. | Original source |
| UNITY May 5 2025 ASPIRE results and corporate update exhibit | Issuer filing / disclosure | Program identity and issuer-reported failed primary analysis; later observations remain separate. | The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit. | Original source |
| UNITY 2024 Form 10-K | Issuer filing / disclosure | Prior UBX0101 and ENVISION failures. | The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit. | Original source |
| UNITY certificate of dissolution | Issuer filing / disclosure | Effective dissolution date and historical legal identity. | The issuer describes its own legal or development history; filing does not independently validate clinical benefit. | Original source |
Trial registries
| Source | Type | Supports | Limitation | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04129944 original trial record | Sponsor-submitted trial registry | Exact trial design and dated registry status. 2021-12-29 | Sponsor-submitted design/status metadata; posted or completed status does not establish efficacy. | Original source |
| Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Repeat Intravitreal Injections of Foselutoclax (UBX1325) in Patients With DME (ASPIRE) | Sponsor-submitted trial registry | Exact trial design and dated registry status. 2025-08-05 | Sponsor-submitted design/status metadata; posted or completed status does not establish efficacy. | Original source |
| NCT04857996 original trial record | Sponsor-submitted trial registry | Exact trial design and dated registry status. 2024-05-16 | Sponsor-submitted design/status metadata; posted or completed status does not establish efficacy. | Original source |
Original scientific reports
| Source | Type | Supports | Limitation | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klier et al. Safety and Efficacy of Senolytic UBX1325 in Diabetic Macular Edema | Original scientific article | Separate BEHOLD safety-first study and uncertain week-48 visual-acuity estimate. | Original results abstract checked. Peer review does not establish independent replication. | Original source |
Confidence / Methodology
Confidence
Bounded source-reviewed profile; independent specialist clearance is not implied.
Methodology note
Facts and registry labels checked as of 2026-10-19. Company disclosures, trial records, original scientific reports and regulatory documents are identified by source type below. Editorial interpretation is distinct from a demonstrated treatment result.
Last reviewed
2026-10-19