Penn Biotech Startup Gets $22M for Estrogen-Mimicking Drug Trials | Cancer & Aging Research

March 23, 2026 Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor Health

Haddonfield, NJ – Linnaeus Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup founded by a University of Pennsylvania graduate, has been awarded up to $22 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to advance clinical trials of its lead drug candidate, LNS8801. The funding will support research into both cancer treatment and potential applications for age-related diseases.

The company, co-founded in 2016 by Christopher Natale, PhD, and Todd Ridky, MD, PhD, is developing LNS8801 as a once-daily pill designed to mimic the benefits of estrogen without activating traditional estrogen pathways. Natale, who earned his doctorate from Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine in 2018, began researching the differences in melanoma outcomes between men and women during his doctoral studies, laying the groundwork for Linnaeus Therapeutics.

Natale’s research revealed that women diagnosed with melanoma tend to experience more favorable outcomes than men. He hypothesized that estrogen played a role, even though melanoma cells don’t typically possess the usual type of estrogen receptor. His experiments showed that estrogen inhibited melanoma cell growth by activating the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Linnaeus Therapeutics subsequently developed LNS8801 to selectively activate this receptor, aiming to harness the potential benefits without the risks associated with broader estrogen activation.

“We realize that estrogen has a lot of anti-aging properties in general,” Natale told the Philadelphia Inquirer. The ARPA-H funding will allow Linnaeus to explore whether LNS8801 can preserve “Intrinsic Capacity” – a measure of physical and cognitive abilities crucial for independence and resilience in older adults – as part of the PROactive Solutions for Prolonging Resilience (PROSPR) program.

Linnaeus Therapeutics is one of seven teams selected for the PROSPR program, which focuses on preventing or delaying age-related diseases. The company’s research is based on observed sex differences and aims to identify mechanisms, such as GPER activation, that link tumor suppression, vascular health, metabolism, and brain function.

LNS8801 has been undergoing clinical trials for melanoma since 2019 and has received both Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations from the Food and Drug Administration, expediting its development pathway. Early trials, involving approximately 100 cancer patients, reported “no serious adverse events.” Researchers have also observed improvements in cardiometabolic markers among trial participants, including indicators related to diabetes risk.

The $22 million ARPA-H contract builds on a recent $4.5 million Series B funding round closed in March 2026, bringing the company’s total funding to $35 million with a $70 million valuation, according to PitchBook. Linnaeus Therapeutics intends to employ the combined funding to initiate a randomized controlled trial in melanoma and further investigate the potential of LNS8801 to extend healthspan.

The company’s operate has garnered support from the University of Pennsylvania, which was an early investor, and Penn Medicine officials have expressed pride in Linnaeus Therapeutics’ success. As of March 23, 2026, LNS8801 has not yet been approved by the FDA, and the long-term effects of GPER activation remain under investigation.