This post is also available in: English
This post is also available in: English
Health tech trends center on extending health span not only through combating pathogens but by viewing the progression of old age as potentially curable. This shift is notable in Silicon Valley, where groundbreaking technologies and treatment systems are beginning to reshape the healthcare landscape
Longevity 101
The future of longevity reflects a broader shift in medicine from a pathogenesis-focused[1] approach to one that includes salutogenesis, emphasizing healthy and well-being. This marks a significant change in our understanding of health. In Silicon Valley, there’s a growing belief that targeting aging itself is needed to earnestly improve quality of life and reduce age-related diseases, which strain healthcare systems.
Innovative medical research increasingly targets the underlying mechanisms of aging, initially through treatments and eventually through preventive measures. Examples include research on rapamycin, telomere maintenance, cellular reprogramming, senolytics, geroprotectors, hormonal manipulation, and AMPK activators. These fields aim to optimize biological resilience and extend the human health span to well above 100+ years.
Furthermore, digital health, such as wearable devices and telemedicine platforms, empower individuals to monitor and manage their health proactively. These advancements support the longevity framework, enabling people to use data and insights for informed and personalized health decisions, thus keeping diseases and the potential for illnesses at bay.
Why is this interesting for Denmark?
The prevalence of non-communicable, age related, diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity has surged significantly in recent decades. In Denmark alone, such illnesses have risen by 60 per cent over the past decade, putting immense strain on the healthcare system. This crisis reveals that the existing workforce can soon no longer meet the demand for care. It is a burning platform.
Reactive measures, such as integrating health tech and telehealth solutions are not enough. Proactive initiatives, like the longevity framework seen in the U.S., offer a part of the solution that should not be ignored. For instance, models show that by curing all cancers with a single pill would only extend the average lifespan by 2-3 years. However, focusing on age and preemptive health measures could prevent most cancers and NCDs from ever developing.
Dr. James Peyer of Cambrian Bio stated in 2023, “We can never cure cancer, we know, but we can create a future where it never develops.” Perhaps ironically, all models show that advancing longevity (health span and lifespan) will ease, rather than overwhelm, healthcare demands.
How far are we?
Policy: U.S. regulatory frameworks are evolving to better support the development of longevity research and solutions. Traditional trials are impractical for age-targeted studies due to their duration, so alternative paths and light clinical trials are being implemented. The National Institute on Aging’s programmes[2] underscore a long-term commitment, though comprehensive strategies remain grassroots.
Investment and Funding: New venture capitalists are emerging in the longevity sector, such as Age1, R42, Longevitiy VC, Founders Fund, Khosla, Mayfield, Andreessen Horowitz. Notably, one of the largest seed rounds in history, across all verticals, was for a Silicon Valley longevity startup in 2022, Altos Lab.
Entrepreneurship: Longevity startups are proliferating, with around 100 in the Bay Area alone, such as AgeX Therapeutics , Altos Lab, Alkahest, CohBar, Genescient, Generation Lab, NewLimit, NeuroAge, or Cyclarity. These startups integrate biotech, AI, and data analytics, focusing on preventive healthcare, age-related disease treatment, and personalized medicine with interdisciplinary teams and technologies.
Corporate: Novo Nordisk are now also focusing on obesity, aligning with the perspectives on longevity and salutogenesis, targeting fundamental causes of various conditions rather than single pathogens. In the U.S., Johnson & Johnson’s efforts include genetic research, advanced diagnostics, and new pharmaceuticals for age-related diseases.
Academia: Stanford University stands out with its dedicated institute for longevity, offering new insights into biological mechanisms and societal perspectives.
Let’s connect
Please reach out to Jon Therkildsen at jonthe@um.dk for any inquiries. We offer our services to both corporates, SME’s and academic partners looking to dive further into the Future of Longevity.
Sources
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