Could a new weight-loss drug open the door to anti-aging therapy?
I’m preparing presentations at various conferences and didn’t want to repeat last year’s presentation, but I wanted to see what was happening outside the longevity field to parallel our progress in the longevity field. I wanted to see if there were any.
Some of the questions I was hoping to resolve are:
Are we at the peak of the longevity hype? Answer: No, not yet. But Brian Johnson’s research is raising awareness of our ability to rewind our biological age. Kim Kardashian’s full-body MRI was a precursor to longevity awareness and, in fact, what inspired us to start investigating longevity clinics – we need to know what’s going on.
Will the FDA classify aging as a disease? Answer: Still off if you want.
But framing this question another way, Do longevity drugs need FDA approval to be commercially successful? Answer: No, all longevity drugs will have a positive impact on at least one aging disease and will eventually be approved. Who would complain if a drug was based on an aging pathway that showed efficacy in multiple aging diseases? , more patients under management and, for governments, a reduction in the impact of aging-related diseases.
Longevity.Technology: Yes, system rejuvenation is the longevity cure panacea, turning back the clock hands of every cell and even an entire organ. But what about drugs that address multiple aging diseases based on recognized aging pathways, mechanisms, or mechanisms of aging based on aging characteristics?
Marketed under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, semaglutide is called a “skinny jab” in some markets and has recently become a weight loss drug. Approved for use by the UK National Health Service for millions of people.
Thousands, not millions!
Semaglutide, used to treat type 2 diabetes, is an anti-obesity drug prescribed for weight loss, but (in most cases) being overweight is not a disease. Getting old is not a disease. This is an interesting parallel.
Based on the hormone GLP-1, semaglutide can be used for conditions other than weight loss. Human studies have also demonstrated the efficacy of both in improving heart failure-related symptoms. [1]promoting DNA repair in neurodegenerative diseases, as well as neuroprotective properties in mouse studies [2].
So is this slimming pill a longevity pill that protects against diabetes, cardiovascular disease and potentially neurodegenerative disease?
In the United States alone, these aging diseases cost $363 billion, $470 billion, and $361 billion, respectively, each year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved Wegovy (semaglutide) injection (2.4 mg) for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight with at least one weight-related condition (hypertension, type 2, etc.). once a week). diabetes, or high cholesterol) [3].
This drug is given as weekly injections and requires a prescription from a specialist.Liraglutide, a similar drug marketed as Saxenda and made by the same company, is already available but must be injected daily. [4].
So what does this have to do with the longevity industry? First of all, the longevity revolution is a slow revolution and success may “creep” us. In the case of semaglutide, perhaps this creeping has already begun.
Therapeutic drug development cycles are very long and bringing safe and effective compounds to market is a daunting task, so we cannot expect a big bang any time soon.
Instead, consider switches. In his August 2023 headline for the Financial Times, changing the theme of weight loss to the theme of aging, a successful longevity remedy grabbed the market’s attention and how it unfolded after the hype peaked. you know what to do.
Weight Loss Pills: Will the healthcare system and insurance companies pay for “weight loss pills”?
Anti-aging drugs: Will the health care system and insurance companies pay for ‘longevity drugs’?
Chinese drug company develops copycat version of ‘miracle’ weight-loss drug
Chinese drug company develops copycat version of ‘miracle’ longevity drug
Can Big Pharma Survive?
Say “so-so”. Our team works with the investment arm of a Tier 1 pharmaceutical company through a separate investment brokerage practice. They are interested in longevity biotechnology that addresses aging pathways and disease. Check the stock price of Novo Nordisk to see the potential for future approvals and order benefits (or even).
“It’s rare that a 100-year-old company is still growing by 30%,” Novo’s chief executive, Lars Fluagaard-Jorgensen, told reporters. The company now expects revenue to grow 27% to 33% this year and operating profit to grow 31% to 37%. [5].
As this and other drugs enter the market and researchers experiment with their efficacy against other aging diseases, the theory of longevity biotechnology is being deployed in national health systems and clinics around the world. you will see that
Looking back at the question I wanted to address, it looks like this:
Are we at the peak of the longevity hype? It hasn’t happened yet, but semaglutide is an interesting example of how things can go.
Will the FDA classify aging as a disease? As semaglutide shows, you don’t need it.
[1] https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2023/august/wegovy-weight-loss-drug-has-benefits-for-people- with heart failure and obesity
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30741689/
[3] https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-payments/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014
[4] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/wellbeing/diet/11367203/Daily-injection-what-is-better-than-dieting-or-exercise-on-NHS-soon.html
[5] https://www.ft.com/content/710c1048-7717-4553-a831-9e13ff27fb6c
