Longevity for animals is becoming a highly exciting area of biotechnology. And it could just be the very beginning of the next revolution in drug discovery.
What’s happening:
- Animal longevity biotech startups have been rapidly accelerating, with new clinical trials underway for the first time ever and significant recent venture capital financing rounds
Why it matters:
- Longevity for animals is widely considered to be one of the most important areas for both helping extend the lifespan of pets and for getting meaningful clinical insights into next generation longevity science that could potentially be applied to human beings
Who is making moves:
- Loyal recently raised $45M USD in a new financing round after announcing they had begun dosing the first dogs in their clinical trial for their novel therapeutic
- David Sinclair co-founded biotechnology startup Animal Biosciences recently announced the first ever clinical evidence for their novel supplement boosting cognitive function in ageing dogs
- Animal longevity supplement startup Arterra previously launched their first ever supplement product aimed at extending lifespan in older canines
The fine print:
- It is still too early to understand what the outcomes of these therapeutics and supplements will be, as clinical trials for animals have only just recently begun and there has not yet been significant data collected from any of the initial studies surrounding these treatments
- It is also unclear exactly how much correlation there will ultimately be between what extends the life expectancy of an animal versus a human being, as the clinical validation for these new treatments are still very much in their infancy and it is largely unknown what the potential side effects or unintended consequences of these drugs will be
