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Defining a longevity biotechnology company

Nature Biotechnology volume 41, pages 1053–1055 (2023)Cite this article

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Basic research on the biology of aging has resulted in the discovery of more than 75 interventions that extend lifespan in rodents and many more that extend lifespan in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. The progression of this work to human trials was historically delayed by the misconception that interventions originally identified to extend rodent lifespan lacked a feasible translation strategy or were unattractive investment opportunities for investors and pharmaceutical companies. In the last 5 years, however, efforts to move those interventions into human experimentation have come to fruition. The biotechnology companies developing such treatments have created a new field of biopharmaceutical development: longevity biotechnology. Because longevity biotechnology represents a paradigm shift in therapeutic approach and faces unique challenges from the standpoint of clinical development, path to approval and patient population, it makes sense to define this rapidly advancing field and articulate standards that identify its bona fide constituents. The Longevity Biotechnology Association (LBA) is a non-profit organization created to foster collaboration, propose guidelines for industry, educate stakeholders and translate geroscience to prevent the diseases associated with aging and extend healthspan.

Several clinical trials targeting mechanisms that drive natural aging are now underway. For example, BioAge has a portfolio of assets across muscle, immune and brain aging, with phase 1 trials completed for their apelin receptor (APJ) agonist BGE-105 for muscle atrophy. Cambrian Bio is developing a drug activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), ATX-304, that has completed three phase 1 studies. Initiatives such as the Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) trial and advances in biomarker discovery using multi-omic datasets and machine learning approaches are also helping to plot a path forward for regulatory approval of a drug that could delay multiple age-related diseases, further driving translation in the field11,12,13.

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Acknowledgements

All authors of this paper are members of the LBA. The LBA’s mission is to sponsor longevity industry and investor meetings and webcasts, connect stakeholders in the field, and provide industry and scientific education to its members. The LBA is a global non-profit, comprising a network of longevity biotechnology companies, researchers and investors. This Correspondence has been reviewed and approved by the members of the LBA. The LBA provided funding for the initial meeting of authors to discuss the ideas of the paper. No further financial support was received by the authors for the research, authorship and publication of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cambrian Bio, Inc., New York, NY, USA

    Nicola Boekstein & James Peyer

  2. American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), New York, NY, USA

    Nir Barzilai

  3. Bertram Endeavours, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    André Bertram

  4. Retro Biosciences, Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA

    Joe Betts-LaCroix

  5. BioAge Labs, Richmond, CA, USA

    Kristen Fortney & Eric Morgen

  6. Rejuveron, Zurich, Switzerland

    Stephen B. Helliwell

  7. Lygenesis, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Michael Hufford

  8. Tornado Therapeutics, Cambrian Bio Inc. PipeCo, New York, NY, USA

    Joan Mannick

  9. Life Biosciences, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Jerry McLaughlin

  10. Juvenescence, Dublin, Ireland

    Jim Mellon

  11. Apollo Health Ventures, Berlin, Germany

    Nils Regge

  12. Oviva Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA

    Daisy A. Robinton

  13. Genetics Department, Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    David A. Sinclair

  14. Longevity Vision Fund, New York, NY, USA

    Sergey Young

  15. Longevity Biotechnology Association, New York, NY, USA

    Risa Starr

  16. Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Alex Zhavoronkov

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  1. Nicola Boekstein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola Boekstein.

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Competing interests

N. Boekstein is director, corporate strategy at Cambrian Bio. N. Barzilai is the scientific director of the American Federation of Aging Research, on the executive board of the LBA and on the scientific advisory board of LVF and Human Edge. He is also a founder of CohBar Inc. and Life Biosciences and on the board of Sirtlab. A.B. is the CEO of HelpWear. J.B.-L. leads the longevity biotechnology company Retro Biosciences. K.F. is CEO of BioAge Labs. S.B.H. has been a paid employee and consultant of Rejuveron Life Sciences AG and a member of the board of directors of Rejuveron Senescence Therapeutics AG and SL, Rejuveron Telomere Therapeutics AG and Rejuveron Vascular Therapeutics AG. M.H. has funding, employment and personal financial interests related to the venture-backed biopharma company LyGenesis. J. Mannick is the CEO of Tornado Therapeutics. J. McLaughlin is the CEO of Life Biosciences. J. Mellon is a salaried director at Juvenescence Limited and an unpaid director at the American Federation of Aging Research. He is also on the LBA board and an unpaid trustee at the Longevity Forum and Buck Institute of Aging. E.M. is employed by BioAge Labs. N.R. is the founder and general partner of Apollo Health Ventures. Apollo Health Ventures manages and advises venture capital funds investing in longevity biotechnology companies. D.A.R. is the co-founder and CEO of a biotechnology company, Oviva Therpaeutics, that is developing therapeutics to improve ovarian function and extend healthspan in females, and also holds shares in Cambrian Bio. She serves on the scientific board of Dior Beauty, their ‘Age Reversal’ board, dedicated to advising and educating on longevity science. D.A.S. is a consultant to, inventor of patents licensed to and, in some cases, board member of and investor in Fully Aligned Co., MetroBiotech, CohBar, Life Biosciences, Immetas, Bold Capital, InsideTracker/Segterra, Zymo, Alpha Wave, EdenRoc Sciences, Galilei Biosciences, Animal Biosciences and Tally Health. He is an inventor on patent applications licensed to Bayer Crops and Merck KGaA. S.Y. is the founder of the Longevity Vision Fund. He is a board member at the American Federation of Aging Research and Innovation Board Member at the XPRIZE Foundation. R.S. holds an administrative role as the executive director at the LBA and the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research. A.Z. is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage generative AI and robotics biotechnology company specializing in aging research. He holds multiple granted patents on geroprotector discovery and aging clocks. J.P. is CEO of Cambrian Bio and a board member of the LBA.

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Boekstein, N., Barzilai, N., Bertram, A. et al. Defining a longevity biotechnology company. Nat Biotechnol 41, 1053–1055 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01854-0

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