Findings demonstrate HERV-K is required for senescence-associated inflammation in metabolically challenged cells and is reactivated in plasma of subjects living with obesity

Copenhagen, Denmark and New York, USA — July 15, 2026 — HERVolution Therapeutics ApS, a biotechnology company pioneering human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-targeting immunotherapies for oncology, metabolic diseases, and longevity, today announced an oral presentation featuring new scientific data at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO 2026), taking place July 15-17, 2026, in Mexico City. The presentation, titled “Human Endogenous Retrovirus K drives and spreads metabolic senescence,” is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026, 16:30–18:00 local time.

The results to be presented reveal that HERV-K is activated under metabolic challenge in terminally stressed, pro-inflammatory cells, where it is required for the induction of adipocyte stress-associated inflammation. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for HERV-K’s role in senescence-linked inflammatory cascades in the context of metabolically unhealthy obesity.

In parallel, results from a clinical dataset developed in collaboration with researchers at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital (BBH), detected elevated HERV-K reactivation in human plasma samples from volunteers living with obesity.

Together, the preclinical and clinical findings extend the relevance of HERVolution’s HERV-targeting platform beyond oncology, consistent with the Company’s intent to apply its technology in a broader medical context such as countering chronic low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance, and accelerated aging.

“These results position HERV-K at the heart of biology that connects obesity, chronic inflammation, and cellular senescence, providing the first mechanistic and human plasma level evidence characterizing the pivotal role of HERV-K in the induction of adipocyte stress-associated inflammation. The detection of HERV-K reactivation in human plasma reinforces what we have long believed, namely that our target is active across a broad spectrum of indications pertinent to oncology as well as cardiometabolic and aging-related diseases. We are proud that this science is being presented at one of the world’s leading metabolic disease congresses.” — J. Robert Coleman, PhD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, HERVolution Therapeutics

About HERVolution Therapeutics

Media Contact

Lia Dangelico
lia.dangelico@deerfieldgroup.com