Anyone interested in what’s on the cutting edge of longevity research should check out this video webinar series about a new AgelessRx sponsored study on the use of Rapamycin in longevity treatment.
The study, titled Participatory Evaluation of Aging with Rapamycin for Longevity, or PEARL, is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial meant to evaluate the efficacy of Rapamycin for longevity in healthy adults.
Rapamycin was identified from a bacteria on Easter Island and studied as an antifungal agent before authorized by the FDA for a variety of diseases. Rapamycin affects the mTOR pathway, which is important in cellular regulation and is believed to be responsible for many aging-related illnesses. Clinical research in collaboration with the University of California will address an increasing demand for the use of rapamycin for longevity therapy and the absence of data regarding human subjects.
The webinars took place in January, March, and July of this year, respectively. Throughout the series , Dr. Sajad Zalzala, Chief Medical officer and Co-Founder here at AgelessRx, talks about his vision for the AgelessRx, the telemedicine model as it pertains to prescription treatment of aging related diseases, as well as PEARL, and in particular, enrolling the study. Contributing members of the panel include Karlo Martin, Research Manager at AgelessRX focusing on the PEARL study as well our COVID trials and Dr. Sahar Swidan, President and CEO of Pharmacy Solutions, Adjunct Associate Prof. of Clinical Research and Leadership at George Washington University, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy at Wayne State University.
In the last of three hour-long webinar sessions, the panel also welcomes Adam Kadela, Founder, CPO, and Head of Operations at DexaFit, a AI driven health consultancy with more than two-dozen locations throughout the US. DexaFit leverages a network of health practitioners, wellness pros, diagnostic testing centers and at home lab tests to offer an evidence-based approach to optimizing health. Dr. Z and Mr. Kadela talk specifically about the company’s work with body composition analysis using DXA technology, often referred to as DEXA Scan, and its role in enrollment of the PEARL study.
As for PEARL itself, the study will consist of two phases. First, an evaluation of Rapamycin after two, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled dosing regimens. The second phase will expand on the first, launching an even larger-scale study with 1,000 patients. Eligible patients include those aged 50-85 of any sex, any ethnicity, in relatively good health, with only well-managed, clinically stable chronic diseases. Tests will include measures of risk of age-associated diseases (glucoregulatory markers, lipids, and markers of inflammation) and assess bone, muscle, and immune aging.
The PEARL study is especially noteworthy for its relative low cost as trials will total just over five hundred thousand dollars. In the more extensive second phase trial, researchers plan to conduct ancillary trials meant to assess combination strategies such as rapamycin and Metformin, while expanding the number of patients.
You can learn more about AgelessRx, Dr. Z, and the company’s story at www.agelessrx.com/about. For more information about the PEARL trials check out the study overview.