GLP-1s are the hottest drugs on the market. While doctors have prescribed these drugs to treat type-2 diabetes for decades, these treatments broke into the public consciousness when they started to be used for weight loss.
U.S. approval of Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity drug Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound has fueled the meteoric growth of both companies.
Now, this lucrative discovery could offer a new benefit to patients: longevity.
“There are signals that GLP-1s could be the first true longevity drug,” Alex Zhavoronkov, the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, said Monday at the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Top scientists from both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have suggested that GLP-1s could have broader effects than just tackling obesity and diabetes. “They found that the regular intake of this drug may reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases, including some CNS (central nervous system) disorders, liver disease, and kidney disease,” Zhavoronkov said.
