Rentosertib, explained for the UK
Rentosertib is an experimental tablet for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) whose target and molecule were both identified using artificial intelligence. This site sets out what has been published about it, what the trials found, including the safety findings, and what it does and does not mean for people with IPF in the UK.
It is written to inform, not to promote. It has no connection to the company that makes the medicine and gives no medical advice.
Where things stand
Licensed
Nowhere
No regulator has approved it. It has US orphan and China breakthrough designations only.
Available in the UK
No
No UK trial, no MHRA application, no early-access scheme. Details
Stage
Phase III
320 people, 47 centres, all in China. First patient dosed 10 September 2026. Details
Results expected
2029
The lead investigator estimates three to four years from trial start to any approval decision.
Start here
What is rentosertib?
The medicine, its names, who makes it and where it is in development.
ReadWhat the Phase 2a trial found
71 people, 12 weeks, one dose group with a lung-function gain, and a liver-toxicity signal. Both sides, with the numbers.
ReadSafety and side effects so far
What was seen in healthy volunteers and in people with IPF, and what is not yet known.
ReadWhat it means for the UK
Why it is not available, how new medicines reach the NHS, and what UK patients can have now.
ReadThe "biological age" claims
What the September 2026 paper found, and why the headlines went further than the paper.
ReadHow AI was used
The discovery story step by step, what is genuinely new, and what the sceptics say.
Read
Latest news
Trade report says the Phase 3 readout is unlikely before late 2027
Clinical Trial Vanguard reported that the primary readout from the Phase 3 trial is unlikely before late 2027. It also reported that Insilico is funding the trial itself from revenue generated by its partnership deals. The trial registry estimates completion in October 2029.
First patient dosed in the Phase 3 trial of rentosertib
Insilico announced that the first patient had been dosed in GENESIS-IPF-3 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, with Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital dosing on the same day. The trial plans to enrol 320 people at 47 centres in China and to run for 52 weeks, with completion estimated for October 2029. The principal investigator, Xu, said approval might take ‘three to four years under favourable conditions’. Rentosertib is an investigational medicine, not licensed anywhere and not available in the UK.
IBTimes UK reports a reduction in predicted biological age
IBTimes UK was the only UK consumer outlet to cover the ageing analysis. Its headline says the drug appears to reverse biological age by up to six years, which goes beyond the peak of about three to four years at week 4 reported in the paper. The article does note that only 21 of 54 comparisons reached a Q value below 0.10 and that LTBP2, a fibrosis protein, was the largest contributor.
USA Today reports on the ageing claim
USA Today covered the ageing-clock analysis under the headline ‘AI drug rentosertib may slow aging. What testing found.’ Alex Zhavoronkov told the paper: ‘There’s no drug that we know of … that can extend life of already optimized individuals.’ No trial has measured whether rentosertib affects lifespan.
Everything on this site
The medicine
What rentosertib is, how it is thought to work, how AI was used, and what is known about safety.
OpenClinical trials
Every trial so far, what was measured, what was found, and what comes next.
OpenThe UK
Availability, how new medicines reach the NHS, treatments available now, trials recruiting here, and support.
OpenAbout IPF
What idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is, who it affects, and what to expect.
OpenThe company
Insilico Medicine, its platform, funding and pipeline.
OpenAbout this site
Who we are, how we write, and our policies.
Open