When Parkinson’s Research Meets Skincare

Beiersdorf, the German skincare company behind NIVEA, Eucerin, and La Prairie, has announced a strategic investment and partnership with Vincere Biosciences, a longevity biotech startup based in Cambridge, MA. The collaboration aims to bring cutting-edge mitochondrial rejuvenation science into skincare, marking a notable step toward consumer products that don’t just soften the appearance of aging, but actively target its root biological causes.

And perhaps most importantly: this isn’t a change in direction for Vincere. It’s a strategic expansion, a dual-track approach that allows early-stage longevity companies to pursue both long-term therapies and faster-to-market consumer products.

The Science: Clearing Out Damaged Mitochondria

Vincere is developing small-molecule compounds that enhance mitophagy, the process by which cells clear out damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria. This process slows with age, contributing to energy decline, oxidative stress, and cellular dysfunction. In the brain, impaired mitophagy is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Vincere’s lead indication.

Their lead compounds inhibit USP30, an enzyme that blocks mitophagy by removing the cell’s “destroy me” tags from defective mitochondria. By suppressing USP30, Vincere’s molecules restore the cell’s natural cleanup process, something that benefits not just neurons, but also skin cells, which rely on mitochondrial health to maintain structure, collagen, and repair capacity.

Why Beiersdorf Is Betting on Mitophagy

Beiersdorf’s interest in cellular aging isn't new. The company has a long-standing track record in skin biology innovation, including work with Coenzyme Q10 since the 1990s. But this partnership marks a leap from antioxidants to mechanism-driven interventions that directly target aging at its source.

Working with Vincere, Beiersdorf plans to explore whether topical applications of USP30 inhibitors can:

• Rejuvenate skin at the cellular level

• Improve mitochondrial turnover and energy production

• Support collagen maintenance and reduce signs of aging

In essence, this is a bid to move beyond “anti-aging” as a marketing term and deliver it as a real biological function.

Two Paths, One Platform

This dual-track development model enables Vincere to operate on two fronts:

• Therapeutic track: advancing USP30 inhibitors for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s through the FDA pathway

• Consumer track: exploring non-FDA skincare applications that could reach the market sooner

This second path offers more than a cosmetic boost. It creates a commercial runway to:

• Generate early revenue

• Validate biological mechanisms through visible skin improvements

• Fund and sustain their more ambitious, longer-term clinical programs

Beiersdorf invested alongside other backers, including Draper Associates, Portal Innovations, LongGame Ventures, ...