Napa Biosciences

Napa Therapeutics (also known as Napa Biosciences) was a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies to modulate NAD+ metabolism for the treatment of aging and age-related diseases. Founded as a subsidiary of Life Biosciences in collaboration with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the company centered its research on the enzyme NAMPT (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase), a key rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD+ salvage pathway. The company's platform aimed to identify and develop small molecule activators of NAMPT to restore NAD+ levels, which decline with age and are linked to various metabolic and degenerative conditions. In 2021, Napa Therapeutics was consolidated into its parent company, Life Biosciences, as part of a strategic shift to integrate its various aging-focused research programs. This consolidation allowed Life Biosciences to centralize its resources on its most promising therapeutic platforms, including epigenetic reprogramming and chaperone-mediated autophagy.