We are living through a historical demographic transition. Currently, people aged 60 and above, are the fastest growing demographic group in the world. Data from the United Nations predicts that by 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will exceed the number of children under the age of 10. By 2050, one in four people will be at age 65 or over. It’s obvious that developed countries have to face the challenges of increasingly aging populations.
On one hand, fertility and mortality rates are declining all over the world. There is also continuous progress made in medical sciences and technology, that results in an overall lifespan extension. No doubt, there are differences due to specific local conditions. However, the human lifespan is longer, and spent in better health than any previous generations.
The global longevity economy is projected to reach $27 trillion by 2026. ‘Longevity industry’ refers to scientific research into aging and its diseases. It is an extremely complex and multi-faceted, encompassing, among others, geroscience research (study of aging), P4 medicine (personalized, precision, preventive, participatory), AgeTech (emerging HealthTech sector focusing on improving the life of the elderly) and longevity finance (financial systems intended for the elderly).
There are 4 main domains of longevity, all with the aim of improving life quality during longer health spans. These are prevention (preventing the damage that causes aging), diagnostics (the early identification of aging damage), treatment (treating the damage that has occurred) and renewal (reversing the damage that has occurred).
The Role Of Digital Health And Genomics On Longevity
The adaptation of digital health technologies is already transforming the healthcare system as we know it. The aging population inevitably results in the higher incidence of chronic diseases. This tendency increases medical costs in an increasingly rate. Digital health technologies offer a solution. More concretely, we expect to see an increased focus on telehealth and mobile health technologies in the near future. The reason for this is that they enable healthcare professionals to continuously monitor and check-in with patients remotely. Thus, they help in the early detection of diseases, while freeing up space in healthcare facilities and time for medical workers. Overall, they enable keeping healthcare costs low, while still providing high-quality care.
The other research area that is has an enormous effect on longevity and healthier lifespan is genomics. Currently, there are around 6,000 untreatable diseases in the world. With the medical breakthroughs in the field of genomics, the future of better disease management, longer human lifespan and personalized medical treatments are closer than ever. Even though, it brings up many risks as well as ethical and privacy questions to consider, the field of genomics is an integral and indispensable part of the future of healthcare.
Some of the most notable European longevity biotech companies:
Rejuvenate Biomed
The Belgium based company researches the biology of aging. They focus on evaluating the therapeutic potential of safe and synergistic combination drugs that target physical decline.
TreeFrog Therapeutics
TreeFrog Therapeutics is a biotech startup with offices in France, Japan and the US. Their mission is to develop and expand the application for cell therapies, with the goal of bringing regenerative medicine products to the patients
Cleara
Based in Utrecht, Cleara develops therapeutics against a wide a range of diseases caused by the accumulation of senescent cells. These cells are a major cause of health problems and contributing to the reason we age.
Rejuveron
The Zürich based company invests in people and ideas to develop therapies and technologies to improve healthy aging and prolong lifespan.
Age Labs
The Norwegian life science company discovers, develops and commercializes diagnostic tests for the early detection of age-related diseases.
Centaura
Swiss Centaura aims to prevent and reverse aging. They apply a multi-factor approach to understand the forces driving aging.
Booster Therapeutics
The Berlin based biotech discovers and develops new medicines for age-related diseases.
Biolytica
Using the power of data and advanced analytics, Swiss Biolytics’ platform gives insights into human ageing, allowing for truly personalized preventive health optimization.
We Are Here For You
Whether in longevity research or in other HealthTech sectors, Storm3 is here to help support the rapid growth of this incredible pioneering industry. We are specialist recruiters dedicated to working with the top companies in all HealthTech sectors. Whether you are a start-up or planning to scale up, Storm3 is here to help you find the right senior talent for the right specialism. If you are looking to expand your team, contact us and if you would like to stay up to date on the industry news, click here to follow us.
