Getting old drug discovery convention demonstrates that longevity is more and more attracting the eye of these exterior the geroscience area.
The world’s largest biopharma conference on aging continues apace this week in Copenhagen, bringing collectively a mixture of longevity scientists, clinicians and executives to debate the newest developments within the area… together with some lighter moments!
Our man on the bottom at ARDD 2024 lauded the standard of the presenters, noting that the overwhelming majority of the world’s main getting old researchers had been taking part on this 12 months’s occasion. A degree backed up by Insilico Drugs founder Alex Zhavoronkov, who informed us, “Seventy of the main international scientists on getting old are at this convention… it’s the summit the place pharma and academia meet.”
Extra from Zhavoronkov later, however his touch upon the link-up between academia and pharma is a crucial one, and one echoed by many others at ARDD, together with Longevitytech.fund founder Petr Sramek. The robust pharma presence at ARDD is a transparent indicator that developments in getting old science are more and more of curiosity to these exterior the established geroscience “bubble”. For the sector to ship on its potential, it wants extra involvement from main gamers in different sectors – and that features Huge Pharma.
However the pharma firms aren’t simply in Copenhagen to pay attention – they’re getting concerned too…
For instance, Novo Nordisk Basis’s Marie Kveiborg offered on the significance of strategic partnering to maneuver new discoveries by way of to the clinic, whereas Eli Lilly’s Andrew Adams spoke on genetic drugs’s potential to rid the world of illness, and Regeneron’s David Glass mentioned the hyperlink between sure gene signatures the danger of age-related problems. Then Novartis’ Mara Fornaro centered on the significance of elucidating the molecular mechanisms implicated in illnesses of getting old, earlier than Pfizer’s Michael Baran joined an interesting investor panel that sought to debate the trail to turning longevity biotech into an “trade.” And that’s simply to say a couple of.
Talking of Novo Nordisk, Tuesday’s classes kicked off with GLP-1 pioneer Prof Jens Juul Holst talking concerning the potential of medicine like semaglutide to influence on the metabolic features of getting old. It is a sizzling subject within the area, and, when we spoke to Holst about his work earlier this year, he informed us it was “extra possible than not” that the medicine will impact longevity.
Yesterday, Harvard professor David Sinclair offered on the Data Principle of Getting old, and the progress made by his lab, together with reversing mobile getting old by way of induced epigenetic modifications. In lab experiments, Sinclair shared how he and his crew restored imaginative and prescient in mice with glaucoma and rejuvenated mind cells, resulting in improved studying and reminiscence in older mice. He additionally spoke about preliminary findings, which recommend mobile reprogramming reveals potential within the therapy of most cancers by reversing cancerous cells again to a wholesome state, prompting their self-destruction.
Longevity drugs rises
The interpretation of geroscience into “longevity drugs” is a rising element of the agenda at ARDD, with devoted tracks on two days of the convention.
Nationwide College of Singapore professor Andrea Maier is a well-known face to many in longevity circles on account of her dedication to turning evidence-based longevity science into cutting-edge scientific follow. In her ARDD presentation, Maier mentioned her work on the HELO examine, a worldwide examine to discover public consciousness of longevity drugs, before announcing an exciting new industry partnership.
Whereas some attendees had been taking part of their 11th ARRD, others had been getting concerned for the primary time, together with the scientist and author Andrew Steele, who echoed Prof Maier’s curiosity in growing public consciousness of the scientific progress being made in longevity.
“That is my first ARDD,” he informed us. “I feel we have to do a greater job of speaking with politicians and the broader neighborhood as there may be some actually cool science right here and never sufficient individuals learn about it.”
And eventually, in what was maybe the largest information of the convention, Alex Zhavoronkov concluded his discuss on Insilico’s work utilizing methylation getting old clocks and life fashions for goal discovery by proposing to longevity researcher and our colleague Dominka Wilcox! We’re glad to report that she stated sure, and we couldn’t be happier for the longevity energy couple.
ARDD 2024 concludes at the moment with one other full day of fascinating displays from the likes of Aubrey de Gray, Alexey Moskalev, Vera Gorbunova and Steve Horvath, to call however a couple of. The convention will return subsequent 12 months, little doubt even greater and higher than ever. See you there!
