Longevity Clinics: Quackery or the Future?

Longevity clinics, such as HUM2N in London, offer expensive treatments like cryotherapy and intravenous drips, with packages costing around £3,000. This surge in interest follows predictions that AI could extend human lifespans and significant investments by tech leaders into longevity research. The global population is aging rapidly, with nearly a fifth of OECD citizens over 65.

Two industries are capitalizing on this trend: unregulated clinics selling dubious treatments and biotechs developing scientifically proven medicines. While some clinics offer therapies with limited scientific backing, major pharmaceutical companies are investing in biotechs to create drugs that could slow or reverse aging. The market for such treatments is potentially enormous, as evidenced by the success of GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity.

Drugmakers are cautiously entering the longevity space, often by acquiring smaller biotechs. Companies like Insilico Medicine are developing "dual-purpose therapeutics" targeting both diseases and aging. AI is seen as a key tool for accelerating drug discovery in this field. Despite past disappointments with longevity drug development, new approaches like epigenetic reprogramming are showing promise, with the first human trials possibly beginning next year.