Ever dream of living up to 150? A Chinese bioscience startup claims to have created a grape seed extract pill that can extend human lifespan to that age, the New York Times reported.
Lonvi Biosciences, a Shenzhen-based startup specialising in longevity and bioscience, recently announced that it has formulated a pill that targets ‘zombie cells’ – ageing cells that no longer divide but continue to trigger inflammation – and can theoretically help people live for as long as 150 years.
“This is not just another pill. This is the Holy Grail,” Lonvi Chief Executive Officer, simply known as Ip Zhu, said.
He added that the main ingredient of this new ‘miracle drug’ is capable of not just increasing longevity but also reducing age-related diseases by strengthening health at the cellular level.
“Living to 150 is definitely realistic,” Lyu Qinghua, the chief technology officer of the company that opened its main laboratory in 2022, told the New York Times. “In a few years, this will be the reality.”
The pill that Lonvi Bioscience is so excited about is based on procyanidin C1 (PCC1), a molecule isolated from grape seeds, which has previously been linked to longer survival in rodents.
The company’s own tests showed that laboratory mice given the formulation lived 9.4 per cent longer overall and 64.2 per cent longer from the first day of treatment.
In 2024, the average life expectancy in China reached 79 years, five years higher than the global average, and growing interest from both authorities and the general public will most likely see that number go even higher.
“Nobody in China used to talk about longevity, only rich Americans. Now many Chinese are interested and have the money to extend their lives,” said Gan Yu, co-founder of Time Pie, a Shanghai-based company that also studies longevity.