Celine Halioua – Pioneer for Pet Longevity Biotech
Celine Halioua is a new and upcoming biotech entrepreneur that is the founder and CEO of Loyal. Loyal is a San Francisco-based startup that is working on developing the first FDA-approved drug for elongating dog’s lifespans. Halioua has already raised $125 million in funding, built a team of top scientists, and has already put Loyal in a spot to be a frontrunner in the animal health industry.
Growing up, Halioua had a deep curiosity about biology and was influenced by her diverse background. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Nanobiotechnology from the University of Texas at Austin. Through this, she explored the science behind the brain and how aging works. Halioua later pursued a DPhil at Oxford University which focused on the economics of gene therapeutics. Her research at Oxford explored how healthcare systems incentivize curative treatments. Halioua left Oxford early to seize entrepreneurial ventures.
In 2019, Halioua dropped out and founded Loyal as a solo female founder. She was driven by the great tragedy of humans outliving their dogs. She hopes to get the first drug on the market in the next year. This drug is designed to change the metabolism of senior dogs to mimic a low-calorie diet. Halioua is also working on a shot and a pill to lengthen the lives of larger dogs by limiting a growth hormone more prevalent in big dog breeds. She has already raised $135 million for equity and an additional $20 million in venture debt. The market for her product is potentially enormous with 90 million dogs in the United States.
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I think this is a great idea! I’m very interested to see if the drug actually works to elongate dog’s lifespans!
While this is a very desirable product for dog owners, I believe the science isn’t quite there yet. They might be able to elongate their lifespans by a year or two but saying it could go any further I believe is misrepresenting the science. Though I suppose any success at all would be very profitable, I question the morality.
I love this! While longevity is a difficult problem to solve, there are steps that can be taken in toward it in the lives of pets as much as people. People and their pets often have very strong emotional ties, so a drug that benefits both groups seems extremely beneficial in the long run. How is the effectiveness measure though? What affect does it have on pets physically?