Human longevity : The giants
Calico
Founded in 2013
CEO : Arthur Levinson
Location : San Francisco, CA
Website : http://www.calicolabs.com/
Research company working on extending human longevity and life-span : Calico, for “California Life company” is a Research and Development biotech company founded by Google Inc. and A. Levinson. Its goal is to fight aging and age-related diseases.
Human Longevity, Inc.
Founded in 2014
CEO : J. Craig Venter
Location : San Diego, CA
Website : http://www.humanlongevity.com/
This company focuses on the study of microbiome, genomics, bioinformatics and stem cell therapies to extend lifespan. It offers services including genomic analysis, personalized vaccines and cell therapies, and develops the Health Nucleus Program for personalized medicine
Companies working on human longevity and stem cells:
Centagen
CEO : Bryant Villeponteau
Founded in 2009
Location : Colorado, USA
Website : http://www.centagen.com/
Products : multi-path therapeutics via activation of adult stem cells.
First solution : therapeutics that promote stem cell function by stimulating body’s adult stem cells, therapeutics that reduce inflammation, toxin levels, and fibrosis to provide optimal environment for a body’s adult stem cells, and therapeutics that promote healthy circulation and hormone levels to provide optimal micro-environment for adult stem cells.
Second solution : stem cell therapy. A small number of Adult Stem Cells are removed from blood or fat. They are expanded in incubator and rejuvenated without changing stem cell state. They are then injected back into a particular body system to cure dysfunction or disease. Centagen has developed a platform to rejuvenate and expand adult stem cells extracted from a patient’s own fat, bone marrow or blood.
Biotime
CEO : Michael West Founded in 1990
Location : Alameda, California, USA
Website : http://www.biotimeinc.com/
Area : regenerative medicine, human embryonic stem cell and induced plenipotentiary stem cell technology.
They develop therapies that are based on stem cell technology and are intended to rebuild cell and tissue function lost due to degenerative diseases and injury. These therapeutics target neurological disorders, cancer, age-related macular degeneration, orthopedic disorders and age-related cardiovascular disease. Their aim is to become leader in the development of pluripotent stem cell-based technologies for the treatment of degenerative diseases.
Companies and start-ups working on extending human longevity and life-span
Elysium Health
Founder and chief scientist : L. Guarante (MIT)
CEO : Eric Marcotulli
Founded in 2014
Location : USA
Website : https://www.elysiumhealth.com/
Six Nobel Laureates are on the scientific board of Elysium Health.
Products : They develop Consumer Health Products. Basis is a metabolic repair and optimization treatment that contains two compounds that support the production of NAD+ and the activation of sirtuins. It is already available on the market.
Publication : Mouchiroud et al., 2013
Lifegen technologies
Founders : Drs. Richard Weindruch
and Tomas A. Prolla
CEO : Richard Weindruch
Founded in 2000
Location : Wisconsin
Website :http://www.lifegentech.com/
They aim to discover the genetic basis of the aging process to increase human healthspan. LifeGen Technologies utilizes DNA microarrays to identify changes in gene expression that are associated with the aging process and how these changes are opposed by caloric restriction (CR). The same process is being used to screen for compounds that have the ability to mimic the transcriptional activity of CR.
Human longevity companies: personalized diagnosis and intervention
Biomarker Pharmaceuticals
CEO : Charles Garvin Founded in 2002
Location : San Jose, CA, USA
Website :http://www.biomarkerinc.com/
Area : Its research is largely based on caloric restriction and DNA microarrays. Their approach is to develop proven intervention strategies based on understanding the molecular pathways that influence aging and the contribution of individual genetic variation.
Products : pharmaceuticals and other therapies for the treatment and prevention of age-related disease. Nutraceuticals : BM-A1 (for cardiovascular health, first clinical study completed), BM-A2, BM-A3 Mimetic interventions of models of life extension (in particular calorie restriction).
Services : GeneEssence, which provides a personalized report of health and wellness status.
Juvenon
CEO : Bruce Ames, one of the world’s leading anti-aging researchers Founded in 1999 Location : Incline Village, Nevada, USA Website :http://www.juvenon.com/
Area : development of nutritional supplements for healthy aging that aim to prevent the decay of mitochondria.
Products : Youthful memory, Juvenon tablets, Energy formula are available on the market. They are said to enhance mitochondrial function and improve health.
Human longevity companies : personalized diagnosis and intervention
Interleukin Genetics
CEO : Mark B. Carbeau
Founded in 1986 Location : Waltham, MA, USA
Website : http://ilgenetics.com/
Interleukin Genetics is a molecular diagnostics company that develops and commercializes genetic tests for personalized medicine. For instance, the Bone Health Genetic Test
determines whether a patient is likely to develop osteoporosis, or chronic inflammation. Other genetic tests include the PerioPredict (it analyzes genetic variations associated with inflammation and identifies individuals with risk for periodontal disease), and tests providing patients with information about heart health, weight management, nutritional needs, etc. They are available on the market. The company has several clinical research collaborations with top research institutions worldwide.
Nu Skin Enterprises and Legendary Pharmaceuticals
CEO : Truman Hunt
Location : Utah, USA Founded in 1984
Website : https://www.nuskin.com
Market cap: $1.89 billion; current price: $33.41.
Nu Skin is a direct selling company that distributes anti-aging products in the personal care and nutritional supplements categories. It is interesting in particular for its personalized approach to cosmetics. In 2011, Nu Skin acquired Legendary Pharmaceuticals, a Florida-based biotech company developing therapies to repair and reverse progressive damage to mitochondria and lysosomes. Prominent scientists in the field of aging biology were on its advisory board, including J. Campisi, A. Cuervo and A. de Grey.
GERO
CEO : Nikolai Kovtunenko Location : Moscow
Founded in 2015 (from merging of GERO corp and Quantum Pharmaceuticals, a bioinformatics company)
Area : identification and detection of blood biomarkers as signatures of age, definition of a rate of aging, as well as a lifestyle and health/disease status. They are also interested in the signatures of different activity types in pedometer track records from smartphones and wearable devices of elderly people.
GERO aims to work on stability of gene networks and offer behavioral optimization programmes.
Publications : Kogan, Valeria, et al. “Stability analysis of a model gene network links aging, stress resistance, and negligible senescence.” Scientific reports 5 (2015).
Companies and start-ups working on extending human longevity and life-span
Prana Biotechnology
CEO : Geoffrey Kempler
Location : Parkville, Australia
Website : http://pranabio.com/
Founded in 1997, thanks to the scientific work of Pr Rudolph Tanzi, investigating the molecular basis of neurodegeneration since 1982.
Area : treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson’s disease and other age-related degenerative disorders)
Products : PBT2 (Phase 2b clinical for Alzheimer and 2a for Huntington), PBT434 and PBT519 for Parkinson’s disease and brain cancer respectively (preclinical toxicology).
Retrotope
CEO : Robert Molinari Founded in 2006
Location : Los Altos Hills, California, USA
Website : http://www.retrotope.com/
Area : development of ways of controlling metabolic processes associated with oxidative stress and pre-serving mitochondrial health, in particular in neurodegenerative diseases. The company assesses various target products, such as pharmaceutical candidates, functional foods, cosmetics and skin care additives, dietary supplements, pet product functional foods, and other antioxidative applications. Retrotope is conducting a clinical trial to assess RT001 in patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (phase 1b/2a).
Chronos therapeutics
CEO : Huw Jones
Location : Oxford, UK
Founded in 2009
Website :http://chronostherapeutics.com/
Area : screening novel and repositioned drugs/compounds for the treatment of age-related conditions, particularly neurodegenerative diseases and osteoporosis; repositioning FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EMA (European Medicines Agency) approved drugs. The company offers RDC5, which is developed for neurodegenerative and obesity diseases.
Chronos therapeutics also offers screening services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies : Chronoscreen is a proprietary screening platform used to assess repositioned and novel drug leads based on their activity and regulation of cellular lifespan. This activity-based approach to drug screening reduces the risk of later stage drug failure due to lack of biological activity. The Chronoscreen identifies drug candidates that modulate biological mechanisms of chronological lifespan and offer therapeutic treatment for age-related pathologies.
Sibelius Natural Products
CEO : Christian Hoyer Millar
Location : Oxford, UK
Website :http://sibeliusnaturalproducts.com/
Area : screening natural compounds and nutraceuticals for their therapeutic benefits in treating age-related conditions. Sibelius is a natural products company specialising in developing and testing proprietary nutraceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients. The company develops products aimed at targeting age-related diseases, using evidence-based biological anti-ageing properties of nutraceuticals. This is the sister company of Chronos Therapeutics. MIT Professor L. Guarente, also a Novartis Professor of aging, joined the Sibelius advisory board in June 2016.
Biotie Therapies
CEO : Antero Kallio
Founded in 2005
Location : Finland
Website : http://www.biotie.com/
Area : developing drugs for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.
Products : Biotie’s lead market product is therapeutic for alcohol dependence called Selincro. The current development products include tozadenant for Parkinson’s disease, which is in Phase 3 development, and two additional compounds which are in Phase 2 development for cognitive disorders including Parkinson’s disease dementia, and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare fibrotic disease of the liver.
Alkahest
Founded in 2014.
Location : San Carlos, CA
Website : http://www.alkahest.com/
Founder : Tony Wyss-Coray and Karoly Nikolich, participation of Dr Villeda and Dr Rando
Area : Transfusion, blood factors research, plasma-based therapies to improve neurodegeneration in aging. No product is on the market yet.
Publication : Villeda et al., 2014
Signum Biosciences
CEO : Maxwell Stock
Founded in 2002
Location : Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Website : http://www.signumbiosciences.com/
Area : developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease through study of protein networks. They develop small-molecule therapeutics derived from a phosphatase platform to modulate signal transduction imbalances.
Companies and start-ups working on extending human longevity and life-span
Sierra Sciences
CEO : William Andrews
Founded in 1991
Location : Nevada
Website : http://www.sierrasci.com/
Area : develop drugs and therapies that will cure and prevent human diseases associated with aging. Presently, they focus mainly on telomeres and telomerase.
Geron
CEO : John Scarlett
Founded in 1990 Location : Menlo Park, CA
Website :
Area : Their research is oriented towards telomeres and telomerase, as well as stem cells, and cancer.
Products : Its most advanced therapeutic product is in phase 2/3 and targets myelodysplastic syndromes. In phase 2, two therapies respectively target myelofibrosis and thrombocythemia.
Companies and start-ups working on extending human longevity and life-span
Proteostasis Therapeutics
CEO : Meenu Chhabra Founded in 2006
Location : Cambridge, Massachusetts
Website :
Area : Proteostasis Therapeutics focuses on research on drugs that control the body’s protein homeostasis. This could lead to therapies against genetic and degenerative disorders. Its lead product candidate is PTI-428 for patients with cystic fibrosis. The company is also developing PTI-NC-733, a novel combination therapy; and PTI-130 for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has a strategic alliance with Biogen New Ventures Inc. to enhance the clearance of misfolded aggregation-prone proteins in neurodegenerative diseases, such as in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease; and Astellas Pharma Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize therapies targeting the Unfolded Protein Response.
Genescient
CEO : Carlos Balarezo
Website : http://www.genescient.com/
Area : Genescient is developing a new methodology for drug discovery and development, by combinating genomics and genetics, experimental evolution, massive screening technology and artificial intelligence-based data analysis. Genescient offers fail-early drug screens services to accelerate and reduce the costs of drug discovery and drug testing.
BioViva Inc.
CEO : Elizabeth Parrish Founded in 2015
Location : Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA
Website :
Area : At BioViva Inc., research aims to develop gene therapies preventing the development of atherosclerosis, sarcopenia, Alzheimer’s disease and skin aging. In particular, hTERT gene therapies, targeting telomerase, are deeply investigated.
Products and Services : anti-aging gene and cell and therapy.
Longevity Biotech, Inc.
CEO : Scott Shandler
Founded in 2010
Location : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Website :
Area : Longevity Biotech, Inc. engages in pharmaceutical preparation. It aims to find modulators of natural defense mechanisms in order to develop new therapeutic compounds. Longevity Biotech is currently developing LBT-3627 as a novel neuroprotective agent as a possible treatment for disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. Also investigated at LBI, LBT-6030 is a drug candidate capable of activating signals directly involved in the treatment of diabetes.
Products : All of its products are at most in preclinical phase.
Dr Guilhem Velvé Casquillas
Author/Reviewer
Auteur/Relecteur
Physics PhD, CEO NBIC Valley, CEO Long Long Life, CEO Elvesys Microfluidic Innovation Center
More about the Long Long Life team
Docteur en physique, CEO NBIC Valley, CEO Long Long Life, CEO Elvesys Microfluidic Innovation Center
En savoir plus sur l’équipe de Long Long Life
