It is increasingly being recognized that directly targeting the aging process, as opposed to individual aging-related diseases or symptoms, is a viable strategy. This is leading to R&D with the ultimate aim of commercializing therapies directed at slowing aging itself.
Some therapeutic approaches – direct-to-consumer nutraceuticals and trial-tested scientific diets – do not require FDA approval, which can significantly reduce their time to market.
To slow the aging process, nonstandard therapies such as blood-based therapies are also being tried.
Big-data approaches are being harnessed in an attempt to build models of healthy aging.
Approaches are increasingly coming directly from aging results in model organisms.
Age-related conditions are the leading causes of death and health-care costs. Reducing the rate of aging would have enormous medical and financial benefits. Myriad genes and pathways are known to regulate aging in model organisms, fostering a new crop of anti-aging companies. Approaches range from drug discovery efforts to big-data methods and direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies. Challenges and pitfalls of commercialization include reliance on findings from short-lived model organisms, poor biological understanding of aging, and hurdles in performing clinical trials for aging. A large number of potential aging-associated interventions and targets exist, but given the long validation times only a small fraction can be explored for clinical applications. If even one company succeeds, however, the impact will be huge.
