The efforts to halt aging have moved from science fiction to starting to become a part of scientific innovation as well as billionaires, and researchers are injecting billions of dollars into biotech, seeking to slow or reverse the human clock. This ambitious push is changing what it means to speak about longevity, equity, and ethics in healthcare.
Can billionaires buy time? The new frontier in longevity science
These investments are led by some of the most notable figures, including Amazon‘s Jeff Bezos, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, and ChatGPT creator Sam Altman. In 2021, Bezos co-founded Altos Labs with a $3 billion investment, the largest biotechnology startup launch ever. The company focuses on “biological reprogramming,” a process designed to rejuvenate cells and potentially reverse aging. Thiel also invested in the Methuselah Foundation, which aims to create technologies to regenerate organs and improve physical and cognitive health — he does this by extending a healthy lifespan.
Another biotech startup Altman backs with $180 million is Retro BioScience, which aims to provide life-extending results within the next four years. Investments in the field are growing, as backers think that breakthroughs in cellular reprogramming and epigenetics could dramatically improve fighting the diseases linked to aging.
The advancements seen within the longevity industry are much more than individual projects. Other promising drugs have been shown recently, including one developed by researchers at Imperial College London and Duke-NUS Medical School, which helped to prolong the lives of mice by almost 25%.
Scientific progress is getting excited, but critics warn of the social consequences. Phil Cleary, founder of the SmartWater Group, has described the pursuit of life extension as “ego-driven,” suggesting that such research prioritizes the elite over pressing humanitarian concerns. He cautioned that anti-aging drugs could exacerbate inequities by becoming accessible only to the wealthiest, leaving behind a “privileged class of posh zombies.”
A theologian, Dr Niamh Middleton, said the potential moral shift could play into the hands of a small group looking to extend life for its ends at the expense of saving the millions of children who die every year from preventable causes. Cleary echoed this sentiment, urging billionaires to redirect resources toward addressing global issues like hunger and childhood mortality rather than chasing the “fountain of youth.”
Since around 100,000 of us die every day from age-related diseases, there is no place for whinging about anti-aging research being urgent. But as technology advances, the debate over the ethical, economic, and social costs will probably grow.
Image credit: Mathew MacQuarrie/Unsplash
