[firecross]

A drug that slows the ageing process and prevents cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's, could be on sale within five years, scientists claim.

The drug is made up of chemicals that mimic resveratrol, a compound found in the skins of red grapes.

Previous research has shown resveratrol reduces the impact of a high-fat diet, doubles stamina and extends the lifespan of mice.

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has developed a pill based on two chemicals that act in the same way and the first human clinical trials have begun.

"The excitement here is that we're not talking about red wine any more. We're talking about real drugs," Sirtris co-founder David Sinclair said.

"We will make a drug to treat one disease but it will, as an added bonus, protect you against most of the other diseases of the Western world."

Anti-aging pill to turn back the clock | Herald Sun

[DAdams91982]

Originally Posted by firecross

We're talking about real drugs," Sirtris co-founder David Sinclair said.

That there is a selling point?

Adams

[RedwolfWV]

Real drugs that will cost 100 times what resveritol does. And they will probably get congress to ban resveritol.

[DAdams91982]

Originally Posted by RedwolfWV

Real drugs that will cost 100 times what resveritol does. And they will probably get congress to ban resveritol.

Yeah, LakeMountD theorized this from the beginning. Interesting to see if it plays out that way. Seeing as how IBE has a patented resv.

Only time will tell.

Adams

[Dutchman]

Big Pharma strikes again. Now with 5 Billion in marketing to the consumer they can probably convince them that natural resveratrol is worthless and only the $99.99 per bottle version works.

[sethroberts]

Originally Posted by Dutchman

Big Pharma strikes again. Now with 5 Billion in marketing to the consumer they can probably convince them that natural resveratrol is worthless and only the $99.99 per bottle version works.

You have to understand the negatives of resveratrol to understand the improvements that are being attempted by the pharmaceutical industry. Resveratrol has poor bioavailability and is subject to extensive phase two metabolism. In addition, the potency and specificity of resveratrol is quite low and the half-life is very short. The goal would be to improve these points by altering the molecule and then testing it for efficacy and safety.

When resveratrol was first discovered and put forward as the source of the French paradox, it was determined that it was not potent enough nor occured in high enough concentrations to be responsible for any of the beneficial effects of red wine. There is still some debate as to whether it is resveratrol or the other phenolics or a combination of that offer protection.

If the industry makes these "improvements" and the molecule does not work or is not safe, then hundreds of millions of dollars go down the tubes. I could give you about 20 patentable derivatives of resveratrol that probably would increase the half-life or potency or both, you wouldn't have to test them and wouldn't have to spend millions of dollars to bring them to market but then again, I couldn't guarantee that they are safe or effective or harmful for that matter. Which would you rather take?

I am not defending the pharmaceutical industry here but some of the stuff that I read is a little silly. If you think that the pharmaceutical industry is worried about competition from a natural ingredient that most scientists consider to be marginally (or not at all) effective then maybe you think they are going to try to outlaw red wine too.

What I would be more worried about is making sure any patents that I might have are bullet proof and not infringing on any of theirs because that is something that the industry will go after.

[GuyverX]

Originally Posted by Dutchman

Big Pharma strikes again. Now with 5 Billion in marketing to the consumer they can probably convince them that natural resveratrol is worthless and only the $99.99 per bottle version works.

not to mention the accompanying side effects that will come with it and the six other drugs that have to be taken to fix those.

my grandmother took blood pressure, heart and nerve medication all which escalated her osteoporosis and she had to get a knee replacement.