In this multipart special report, BioWorld explores the concept of extending lifespan, which is surprisingly well-validated by basic research. The team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing these potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs. Read More
There is no drug that will halt the inevitable process of getting older each year. But biopharmaceutical research can have a positive impact on preventing diseases that come with aging, thereby extending life for the masses, and more importantly, extending quality of life. Part one of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the increasing development and investment in the space. Read More
To most people, trying to prevent aging seems like a dream – maybe a pipe dream, in fact. But a dream for sure. To aging researchers, it seems like common sense. And if animal studies are any indication, maybe not that hard, either. Part two of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan looks at the potential of anti-aging medicine. Read More
Aging is surprisingly dichotomous. Genetic studies suggest that in fruit flies and mice, the gene sets that affect male and female longevity are mostly distinct. And a lopsided amount of what’s known about aging comes from the study of – wait for it – males. Read part three of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan. Read More
The U.S. NIH’s National Institute on Aging’s Intervention Testing Program has been searching for ways to extend lifespan for more than two decades by now. And in its animal studies, it has been successful multiple times. There are half a dozen drugs, and a few lifestyle interventions, that reliably extend lifespan in one or both sexes by up to 30%. Read more in part four and five of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan. Read More
Remarkably, the U.S. NIH’s National Institute on Aging’s Intervention Testing Program (ITP) has achieved its success rate while keeping to the highest standards of scientific rigor. Any researcher can suggest drugs that the ITP might test. The program can only test a fraction of the suggestions in gets, though, so proposals go through a rigorous vetting process. Read More
A lot of what goes on during aging remains too poorly understood for straightforward translation. There are hallmarks of aging, and researchers are getting a handle on its biological mechanisms. But in a basic sense, “we still don’t have much of an idea what causes aging,” said Björn van Eyss of the Leibniz Institute for Aging Research. Part six of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan explores the moonshot attracting the most attention: in vivo partial reprogramming. Read More
In the biopharma industry, the sirtuins have been a cautionary tale of some of the challenges in translating aging research. Research in the early aughts suggested that activating them could extend lifespan, and the spectacular rise of sirtuin activators crested in 2008, when GSK plc bought preclinical startup Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. to the tune of $720 million, only to shutter it a few years later. But the hopes attached to sirtuin activators have not panned out. Read more in part seven of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan. Read More
If anti-aging drugs are to become widely available and adopted, especially in the U.S., they have some serious hurdles to overcome. And those hurdles aren’t all in the lab or clinic. With classes of anti-aging drugs already in the pipeline, “the biggest hurdle is FDA approval. Then reimbursement,” said George Kuchel, a professor and director of the UConn Center on Aging at the University of Connecticut. Read the final installment of BioWorld’s multipart series on extending the human lifespan. Read More
In Extending the human lifespan, a BioWorld special report, the team examined the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs. In this episode of the BioWorld Insider Podcast, the team discussed the report’s highlights and key takeaways.
Microbiome specialist Enterome SA has out-licensed its lead human hormone mimetic, EM-1010, to Nestlé Health Sciences SA, in a deal that underlines the potential of its approach to generating novel drugs from proteins expressed by gut bacteria. EM-1010, the first program derived from Enterome’s Endomimics platform, is an orally available molecule that acts by promoting local release of interleukin 10 in the gut, with the aim of reducing inflammation. It is in development for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and food allergies and due to enter clinical trials in 2023. Read More
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has cleared Japan Tissue Engineering Co. Ltd.’s (J-Tec) autologous cultured cartilage, called Jacc, after a seven-year re-examination period. Headquartered in Gamagori, in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, J-Tec was the first company in Japan to receive conditional clearance of regenerative medicine therapies under the new regenerative medicine pathway. Read More
A “clean” user fee bill with no congressionally added policy riders. It’s been a biopharma and med-tech dream for years. But now that U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has introduced such a bill, it could prove a nightmare, given competing legislation and the tight timetable for reauthorizing the user fee programs before the clock winds down on the current agreements Sept. 30 when fiscal 2022 ends. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Ani, Apaxen, Complement, Eagle, Editas, Eiger, Evelo, Eyenovia, Generation, Inmed, Macomics, Nuvation, Relief, Rome, Tiziana, Willow. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Adverum, Bone, Canbridge, Eyepoint, Hutchmed, Immune-Onc, Roche. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Codexis, Endo, GBT, Kalivir, N4, Nanomerics, Noxxon, Oncternal, Pfizer, Quoin, Scholar Rock, Serb, Siga, Soligenix, Voltron. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Cstone, Escend, Gilead, Moderna, Neurophth, Neximmune, Novartis, Omega, Polpharma, Prescient. Read More
