Regent Pacific Group Ltd (HKG: 575), a specialist healthcare, wellness and life sciences investment group, has agreed with the shareholders to acquire Deep Longevity, Inc. (DLI) for a consideration of US$3.79 million. Regent Pacific proposes issuing approximately 422.69 million consideration shares, representing a dilution of approximately 18.70%. Following the transaction, DLI will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Regent Pacific.
DLI provides Regent Pacific a high-quality growth asset and a key platform for expanding into the emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI) and longevity medicine. DLI will pursue its business, namely:
– Developing comprehensible user-friendly AI systems to track rates of aging at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, physiological and psychological levels
– Developing systems for longevity medicine to help physicians make better decisions on interventions that may slow down or reverse the aging processes
– Developing Longevity as a Service (LaaS) solution to integrate multiple deep biomarkers of aging dubbed “deep aging clocks” which provide a universal multifactorial measure of human biological age
– Developing deep haematological clocks which can be explored as a predictive tool for the analysis of COVID-19 positive patients.
The Share Purchase Agreement will conclude on 29 May 2020 at the HK Stock Exchange. Based on a professional independent valuation conducted by the Company, the fair value of the equity of DLI is US$4.30 million. Through the acquisition, the Board believes that DLI will become a high-quality growth asset and a key platform for expanding into the emerging field of longevity medicine.
Solid investor base with expert AI and biotechnology investors
Originally incubated by Insilico Medicine, DLI closed a Series A funding round at the end of June 2020 that includes some of the most credible and world-renowned venture capitalists specializing in biotechnology, longevity, and AI (artificial intelligence). Among these strategic investors are well known funds such as BOLD Capital Partners, ETP Ventures, Human Longevity and Performance Impact Venture Fund, Longevity Vision Fund, LongeVC, Michael Antonov (co-founder of Facebook owned Oculus VR) and other expert AI and biotechnology investors.
DLI has also established a key research partnership with one of the world’s leading longevity research and development organizations, Human Longevity, Inc (HLI). Under this partnership, HLI will provide a range of aging clocks to a global network of advanced physicians and longevity researcher specialists. The Group is delighted to have these biotech and investment experts as part of its shareholder mix upon completion of the acquisition.
Jamie Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Regent Pacific, said, “Our long-term vision is to transform Regent Pacific into a global longevity and wellness biotechnology company dedicated to extending healthy productive lives for billions worldwide by developing a longevity ecosystem. It is only logical to start executing on this vision via the acquisition of the most sophisticated AI system designed to track the rate of human aging and evaluate the effectiveness of longevity interventions. This system can be used by the longevity and performance clinics, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and large employers that deeply care about their workforce.
“DLI is the original inventor of deep aging clocks with granted US patents, high-end clinics as clients, great scientific publications, top AI and longevity scientists, and more than half of the acquisition value being held in cash from expert investors. It is a great asset to serve as a core engine of our longevity ecosystem,” added Gibson.
Deep aging clocks : tools for predicting COVID-19 relevance
DLI is developing explainable and user-friendly AI systems to track the rate of aging at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, physiological and psychological levels and systems for the emerging field of longevity medicine, enabling physicians to make better decisions on interventions that may slow down or reverse the aging processes. DLI has also developed Longevity as a Service (LaaS) solution to integrate multiple deep biomarkers of aging dubbed “deep aging clocks” which provide a universal multifactorial measure of human biological age.
Further, there is an increased interest in the longevity market where DLI is looking to have first mover advantage with its applications, including COVID-19 relevance (where epidemiological studies suggest that age is one of the most important factors of COVID-19 illness severity). DLI’s deep haematological clocks can be explored as a predictive tool for analysis of COVID-19 positive patients. The Group, therefore, believes there is significant growth potential in acquiring DLI at this stage of its development, and, importantly, on attractive terms to shareholders.
Mr Gibson added, “DLI will be run by the most credible experts in aging and longevity with Jim Mellon, the Company’s chairman and the author of “Juvenescence” being joined by other noted biotechnology investors and entrepreneurs including Dr. Wei-Wu He, chairman of HLI, and Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, the founder and CEO of DLI and adjunct professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Together these individuals will combine their efforts to create a dedicated and focussed longevity company.”
Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, the founder and CEO of DLI, said “As part of Regent Pacific, we plan to help it transform into the first public company to become the engine for the emerging longevity ecosystem and help everyone on the planet live longer and better regardless of their nationality, race, gender, or social status. As part of Regent Pacific, we aim to service the longevity biotechnology industry as well as the health and life insurance industries and become the ultimate instrument to hedge the longevity risks.”
The Acquisition constitutes a discloseable transaction under Chapter 14 of the HK Listing Rules. Therefore, no shareholder approval is required for the Acquisition and the Share Purchase Agreements. However, the Company proposes to seek an approval of a specific mandate for the issue and allotment of the Consideration Shares from the Shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting.
About Deep Longevity
Deep Longevity is developing explainable artificial intelligence systems to track the rate of aging at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, system, physiological, and psychological levels. It is also developing systems for the emerging field of longevity medicine enabling physicians to make better decisions on the interventions that may slow down, or reverse the aging processes. Deep Longevity developed Longevity as a Service (LaaS) solution to integrate multiple deep biomarkers of aging dubbed “deep aging clocks” to provide a universal multifactorial measure of human biological age.
Incubated by Insilico Medicine, Deep Longevity started its independent journey in 2020 after securing a round of funding from the most credible venture capitalists specializing in biotechnology, longevity, and artificial intelligence. Deep Longevity established a research partnership with one of the most prominent longevity organizations, Human Longevity, Inc. to provide a range of aging clocks to the network of advanced physicians and researchers. https://deeplongevity.com/
About Regent Pacific
Regent Pacific is a diversified investment group based in Hong Kong currently holding various corporate and strategic investments focusing on the healthcare, wellness and life sciences sectors. The Group has a strong track record of investments and has returned approximately US$298 million to shareholders in the 21 years of financial reporting since its initial public offering in May 1997. www.regentpac.com
