The obesity drug industry and longevity

Obesity and it's resulting metabolic problems is a major health issue globally. It speeds up aging in many ways, primarily it contributes to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain forms of cancer. On average people with obesity have a shortened lifespan with significant very costly comorbidities, it also speeds up certain types of dysfunctions and damages associated with "normal aging".

While in theory obesity can be controlled by adherence to a healthy diet it is notoriously difficult to control since the evolutionary mechanisms of appetite for calorie-rich food encourages people to overeat. This means that on a practical level, drugs that decrease appetite and can realistically and consistently get obesity under control, represent large cost-savings for society and more quality life years.

Many large pharmaceutical companies have recently entered this area due to the possibilities that exist to globally impact disease risk and the premature aging obesity causes. Examples include Novo Nordisk with the GLP-1 agonist Ozempic and Wegovy as well as Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) by Eli Lilly.

The company BioAge Labs in San Francisco Bay Area where I worked 4 years ago has recently entered the space with a $170 Million raise. The focus is on an apelin receptor agonist, Azelaprag together with Tirzepatide in their pipeline of metabolic aging.

We live in an exciting era, where so many common causes of ill health suddenly becomes possible to control in an unprecedented way. It remains to be seen what clinical trials are going to end up being most relevant for aging and how they will be conducted.

It can be anticipated that a shift will occur in how we approach health, as something that can be maintained by targeting root causes behind disease. Who is going to do what and what will the impact end up being? A broad spectrum of targets along multiple aging hallmarks will increases the chances of finding the best combinatory cocktail, that is why I am also very grateful for organizations like the Hevolution Foundation that invests and gives out grants in a multimodal approach.