Jury of expert academics declares Dr. Peter Fedichev the winner, citing stronger evidence for halting aging versus rejuvenation

A landmark debate titled "How to Defeat Aging," held by Open Longevity at the Foresight Institute on May 27, 2024, produced an unexpected winner, uncovering a far more nuanced narrative behind the recent surge of interest to rejuvenation biotechnology. The event pitted two leading scientists Dr. Aubrey de Grey and Dr. Peter Fedichev against each other, each offering contrasting perspectives on the future of aging research.

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Longevity debates poster (Graphic: Business Wire)

Dr. Aubrey de Grey, president and chief science officer of the Longevity Escape Velocity (LEV) Foundation, a renowned advocate for rejuvenation therapies, argued that aging is a process caused by accumulated damage, which could potentially be repaired through targeted interventions.

Dr. Peter Fedichev, CEO of Gero.ai, one of the thought leaders in longevity and another proponent of radical biotech solutions to the aging problem, who applies quantitative models of human aging, challenged de Grey’s optimistic view on rejuvenation. Dr. Fedichev emphasized the inherent limitations posed by the stochastic (random) and thermodynamically irreversible nature of human aging, suggesting that rejuvenation might offer only around 15 additional years of lifespan at best. According to Fedichev, with current technologies, we have the potential to live for hundreds of years—by focusing on halting aging instead, following the inspiring examples of negligibly senescent animals, including naked mole rats and some species of bats. Achieving this goal, however, will require completely different therapeutic targets, drugs, and biomarkers than those used by most of the longevity industry. Dr. Fedichev’s position is based on his Theory of Aging, presented in a series of publications starting from 2015, and confirmed and developed by the subsequent research by Gero and other scientists.

The debate was judged by prominent academic experts and live-streamed on YouTube. After the debate concluded, the jury awarded Dr. Fedichev the winner and presented him with a $10,000 cash prize.

More details about the debate, contestants, their background, research pipeline, and positions are available on the https://www.openlongevity.org/debates.

Photos of the event:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16RK_0ClMcgWB53ls8IIvelns7os06TSS

About Gero

Gero is a preclinical-stage drug discovery company. Gero leverages complex systems physics, generative AI, extensive medical records, genotypes, and molecular data to train a large health model and develop therapies. Gero has made several critical discoveries in aging and drug discovery, which have been published in Science, Nature Communications, Scientific American, and Popular Mechanics. Gero is using its drug discovery platform for in-house projects and in collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, including one with Pfizer. To learn more.

Disclaimer: This press release is for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. The views expressed herein are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the participants. Readers should consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

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