What if we stopped treating aging as “natural” and started treating it like a disease?
In this episode of the Molecule Podcast, Ella McCarthy-Page (Sci Comms Lead at Molecule)and Alana Tara Singh (Behavioural Strategist) unpack a seismic shift in how governments are approaching longevity science. The German National Academy of Sciences has officially defined aging as a disease target, opening the door for clinical trials, new drug development, and the first regulatory frameworks focused on reversing age-related decline.
They’re joined by Michael Torres (co-founder, R10 Bio & VITA RNA), who shares why he’s launching a human clinical trial targeting post-chemo aging in Abu Dhabi, a country now fast-tracking longevity drugs under radical new trial standards.
You’ll learn:
* Why aging wasn’t treatable (until now)
* What Germany’s new policy really means
* How Rapamycin exposed the flaws in current regulation
* Why Abu Dhabi is leading the longevity race
* The role of DeSci in decentralized drug development
* How R10 Bio used Molecule’s IP-NFT model to raise funds
* The real story behind Michael’s anti-aging therapy
Welcome to the future of proactive medicine! Let’s reimagine aging before it redefines us.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro with Ella & Alana
00:34 – Germany now targets aging as a disease
01:30 – Why regulators blocked anti-aging drugs
02:40 – Rapamycin and the loophole problem
04:00 – Why off-label drugs are risky
05:20 – Germany’s surprise leadership in longevity
06:00 – Abu Dhabi’s radical trial reforms
09:15 – Raves, cappuccinos & Gen Z health trends
10:00 – Can we prevent cancer by targeting aging?
10:50 – What is R10 Bio’s therapy actually doing?
12:00 – The DeSci fundraising journey with Molecule
13:10 – From mutation suppression to clinical readiness
14:00 – Why Abu Dhabi was chosen for trials
14:40 – Michael Torres on aging post-chemo
16:00 – Defining a huge market with aging-related outcomes
17:00 – Why rare disease trials don’t scale
18:00 – How Abu Dhabi is implementing FDA “guidance”