A New Anti-Aging Drug Looks to Turn Back the Clock on Skin Age

A biotech company based in Mountain View, California has developed an anti-aging drug that targets skin aging, according to a clinical trial presented at a conference in Boston. The drug, which reduces the visible signs of aging on the skin, works by targeting cellular senescence, a natural process where damaged or stressed cells stop dividing but don't die.

In the trial, 11 patients with atopic dermatitis, a common skin condition, applied the topical cream for four weeks. The researchers found that the skin's biological age decreased by an average of two years. One participant saw a reduction of more than 11 years in their skin age. The drug was also shown to decrease inflammation-related markers in the skin and increase collagen production, which is linked to skin elasticity.

Rubedo's approach involves temporarily turning off a protein called GPX4, which helps cells survive. This makes senescent cells more susceptible to ferroptosis, a form of cell death, while also reviving non-senescent cells nearby. The company is currently researching the drug's effects on other skin conditions, such as actinic keratosis and psoriasis, as well as androgenetic alopecia, a form of hereditary hair loss.

CEO Frederick Beddingfield envisions a lower-potency, over-the-counter version of the drug for general skin aging, which could compete with retinol. The company is also formulating the drug into a pill to investigate its potential in treating metabolic conditions associated with aging. While the science behind the drug is novel, dermatologist Anthony Rossi cautions that the work is still in its early stages and that the best anti-aging routine currently involves healthy lifestyle habits such as sleep, a balanced diet, and exercise.