CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – İş Private Equity, a subsidiary of Türkiye İşbank Group, has launched a new biotechnology venture, Enlila, to support breakthrough research at the Hotamışlıgil Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The initiative aims to advance the development of therapies targeting obesity and age-related diseases by funding translational research based on discoveries made by Prof. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil and his team.
Prof. Hotamışlıgil’s lab has spent more than a decade exploring the biological foundations of metabolism, with a focus on lipid-binding proteins and novel hormones secreted by fat cells. These hormones have been shown to influence energy metabolism, inflammation, and cellular stress responses—processes often disrupted in obesity and aging. The lab’s preclinical studies have demonstrated promising outcomes in reversing conditions such as insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, fatty liver disease, and asthma by targeting these newly identified hormone systems.
Enlila was formed to provide dedicated funding for the next phase of this research, with the goal of advancing laboratory discoveries into clinical applications. Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has entered into both a sponsored research agreement and a license agreement with Enlila on behalf of the Harvard Chan School. The partnership will help move experimental therapies from the lab into potential treatments for conditions that remain underserved by current medicine.
“When we age, our bodies lose metabolic flexibility and adaptive capacity, which accelerates the development of many chronic diseases,” said Prof. Hotamışlıgil, James Stevens Simmons Professor of Genetics and Metabolism. “My lab has identified new metabolic hormone systems at the root of these changes and shown their therapeutic promise in preclinical models. This funding provides the support and momentum we need to push forward solutions for obesity- and age-related diseases.”
İşbank CEO Hakan Aran, speaking at a signing ceremony held at Harvard, underscored the significance of the partnership. “İşbank is proud to support this visionary research. This collaboration is not merely an investment—it is a commitment to transforming scientific discovery into therapies that can improve global health. Through Enlila, we aim to turn academic breakthroughs into real-world treatments that enhance quality of life.”
Kubilay Aykol, CEO of İş Private Equity, emphasized the broader implications of the venture. “Biotechnology entrepreneurship is a strategic growth area with long-term value. By launching Enlila, headquartered in Türkiye, we are investing in scientific innovation that can address widespread health challenges. This agreement allows us to contribute to the scientific community, the economy, and society by supporting the development of therapies for metabolic diseases that impact millions around the world.”
With Enlila now established and backed by İşbank’s financial and institutional support, the venture represents a new model for international collaboration between science, finance, and public health—focused on translating cutting-edge academic research into life-changing medical solutions.
