Exhibit 5.1

Unity Biotechnology, Inc.

285 East Grand Avenue

South San Francisco, California 94080

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Unity Biotechnology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance from time to time of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 (the “Shares”), by the Company pursuant to the Sales Agreement dated July 31, 2020 (the “Sales Agreement”) between the Company and Cowen and Company, LLC. The Shares are included in a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on June 3, 2019 (Registration No. 333–231893) (as amended, the “Registration Statement”), a related base prospectus dated June 6, 2019 (the “Base Prospectus”) and a prospectus supplement dated July 31, 2020 filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (the “Sales Agreement Prospectus” and, together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”).

This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related applicable Prospectus or the Sales Agreement Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers, and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the Sales Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that (i) the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL and (ii) upon the issuance of any of the Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under its Certificate of Incorporation.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six month period ended June 30, 2020 and to the reference to our firm contained in each of the Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Latham & Watkins

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