Calorie Restriction mimicking Longevity drug could be available in 5 years

Sirtris’ resveratrol formulation is now in Phase II clinical trials for diabetes. When it hits the market in four or five hears, David Sinclair [co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, discovered the molecule resveratrol. Sirtis Pharmaceuticals was bought by GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million] said, “It’ll be on the market as a diabetes drug. It’ll have to sell for $3 or $4 a pill, in order to stay competitive.” The company is also working with other molecules — potential drugs — that are unrelated to resveratrol but also stimulate the SIRT1 gene. Some of the molecules could be up to 1,000 times more potent than resveratrol, he added.

Assuming 2 pills per day, $2190-2920/year, $182-243/month.

He continued, “And once it goes off-patent [about 17 years from the time the patent is in force], companies will be able to make it for pennies. It’ll be like aspirin.”

Estimates of life extension from calorie restriction are 3 to 13 years.

Okinawans, the longest lived people on earth, consume 40% fewer calories than the Americans and live 4 years longer. Women in United States consume 25% fewer calories than men and live 5 years longer. From the survival studies of overweight and obese people it is estimated that long-term CR to prevent excessive weight gain could add only 3 to 13 years to life expectancy. Thus the effects of CR on human life extension are probably much smaller than those achieved by medical and public health interventions, which have extended life by about 30 years in developed countries in the 20th century, by greatly reducing deaths from infections, accidents and cardiovascular disease.

FURTHER READING
SRT501 given twice daily to Type 2 Diabetic patients, found that the patient group receiving 2.5 grams twice a day had significantly lower blood glucose levels as determined through an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at the test’s two-hour time point, as compared with the placebo group.

Sirtris has also identified new chemical entities (NCEs) that are chemically distinct from resveratrol, and in in-vitro tests are up to 1,000 times more potent. In preclinical models of Type 2 Diabetes, Sirtris’ NCEs have lowered glucose and improved sensitivity.

A discussion of aging was a closing event of the first World Science Festival. Hat tip to instapundit and welcome to instapundit readers.

Sinclair says the best current anti-aging treatment is to exercise.

There is a promising cancer treatment going into clinical trials this summer.

Early cancer detection would also have a large impact

A recent University of Madison study suggests that lower doses of resveratrol can provide calorie restriction type benefits. Previous studies had shown life extending benefits only from very high doses of resveratrol.

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