STAT+: Google's secretive anti-aging company Calico finally released data. Its drug failed

In 2013, Google announced it would attempt to understand and ultimately slow aging through a company called Calico, a moonshot effort that would ultimately absorb at least $3.5 billion in funding, spawn rampant speculation, and generate dozens of academic papers but deliver few tangible results  — until Monday. 

The first data have now emerged from a drug Calico developed. It failed.

The pill, known as fosigotifator, was not designed to slow aging itself. The Food and Drug Administration does not consider aging a disease and it would be incredibly costly and time-consuming to even attempt to prove that a drug extends lifespan — so most “longevity” companies have started by tackling specific age-related diseases. 

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