FREQ - 8 Anti-aging Stocks in the US
As the global population continues to get older, the widespread popularity of anti-aging products also continues to rise thanks to advancements in technology and an increase in demand for anti-aging skincare products.
The world’s population is always growing older, and the need to look and feel young as long as possible gives companies in the life sciences space an increased interest in devices and anti-aging technologies, including items focused on health preservation.
According to a report from Research and Markets, the global anti-aging market will be worth a staggering US$79.5 billion by 2024, up from US$50.2 billion in 2018 and growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.98 percent during the forecast period.
Beyond the aesthetics of aging, a study from the Business of Anti-aging Science said, “(Age-related diseases) are the leading causes of death and health-care costs. Reducing the rate of aging would have enormous medical and financial benefits.” It continues, “Some therapeutic approaches — direct-to-consumer nutraceuticals and trial-tested scientific diets — do not require FDA approval, which can significantly reduce their time to market.”
Here the Investing News Network provides a brief overview of eight publicly traded anti-aging companies with market caps of under US$500 million on US stock exchanges. The anti-aging company stocks are listed in descending order of market cap; all numbers and figures are current as of November 6, 2019.
1. Frequency Therapeutics (NASDAQ:FREQ)
Market cap: US$490.99 million; current share price: US$15.76
Frequency Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing treatments related to hearing loss. Its lead product candidate is FX-322 and hones in on sensorineural hearing loss. A Phase 2a trial is planned for Q4 2019 with topline results expected in the second half of 2020.
Looking further ahead, Frequency Therapeutics intends to submit an investigational new drug application in the second half of 2021 for multiple sclerosis.
2. Unity Biotechnology (NASDAQ:UBX)
Market cap: US$293.78 million; current share price: US$6.80
Part of Unity Biotechnology’s mission statement is prolonging the human lifespan. The company’s primary goal is to slow down or reverse age-related conditions and improve health.
In the company’s pipeline is its lead product candidate, UBX0101, which has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial for osteoarthritis in the knee. After promising results revealed in June 2019 — where the treatment demonstrated that it was well tolerated — the company plans to move forward with a Phase 2 trial of UBX0101 for the same condition.
Unity Biotechnology’s other products are UBX1967 and UBX1325, both of which are being tested as possible treatments for age-related diseases in the eye, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The company intends to submit investigational new drug applications for both drug candidates in early 2020.
3. resTORbio (NASDAQ:TORC)
Market cap: US$279.63 million; current share price: US$7.72
ResTORbio is a biopharmaceutical company that is focused on human longevity. The company’s lead program is targeting the selective inhibition of TORC1, which is an evolutionary conserved pathway contributing to the decline in function of multiple organ systems, including the immune, cardiac and neurological systems.
Within the TORC1 inhibitor is its lead product candidate, RTB101, which is being developed by itself and with other TORC1 inhibitors for a range of age-related diseases in various clinical trials. These include clinical symptomatic respiratory illness, Parkinson’s disease, urinary tract disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
4. Athersys (NASDAQ:ATHX)
Market cap: US$206.11 million; current share price: US$1.35
Athersys is focused on its MultiStem, which is a stem cell product to treat neurological, inflammatory and immune, and cardiovascular diseases.
In its clinical pipeline is the company’s most advanced program to treat ischemic stroke, which is in an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial. Other neurological conditions that are in preclinical development include hemorrhagic stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Athersys’ most advanced cardiovascular program is for acute myocardial infarction, which is in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial.
Lastly, in terms of inflammatory and immune diseases, the company’s most advanced programs have completed their Phase 2 trials in acute respiratory distress syndrome and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
5. Lineage Cell Therapeutics (NYSE American:LCTX)
Market cap: US$123.16 million; current share price: $0.82
Lineage Cell Therapeutics works in the fields of regenerative medicine, human embryonic stem cell technology and induced pluripotent stem cell technology. It develops therapies that are based on stem cell biology and are intended to rebuild cell and tissue function lost due to degenerative diseases and injury.
In the company’s stem cells programs are OpRegen, which is a cell replacement therapy in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat advanced dry age-related macular degeneration; OPC1, which is in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial for acute spinal cord injuries; and VAC2, which is in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
6. CohBar (NASDAQ:CWBR)
Market cap: US$81.44 million; current share price: $1.90
This company is taking a different approach to age-related disease through the research and development of mitochondria-based therapeutics, an emerging class of drugs. A novel group of peptides encoded within the mitochondrial genome has been shown to regulate metabolism and cell death.
These treatments have widespread potential to target diseases related to aging and metabolic dysfunction, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system conditions.
7. AgeX Therapeutics (NYSE American:AGE)
Market cap: US$55.32 million; current share price: US$1.47
AgeX Therapeutics’ area of focus is straightforward: the company is developing treatments targeting human aging. Its proprietary technologies include PureStem and Tissue Regeneration.
PureStem aims to help generate stem cell-derived young cells in degenerative diseases while Tissue Regeneration is the company’s longevity platform to help regenerate capacity and reverse age-related body changes.
8. Proteostasis Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTI)
Market cap: US$44.64 million; current share price: $0.87
This biopharmaceutical company has a focus on identifying therapies that restore protein function. Proteostasis Therapeutics is developing small-molecule therapeutics to treat cystic fibrosis, a disease caused by dysfunctional protein processing; it has a partnership with Astellas Pharma (TSE:4503) to research and identify therapies targeting the unfolded protein response pathway.
Which anti-aging companies are you interested in? Tell us in the comments.
This is an updated version of an article originally published by the Investing News Network in 2017.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Jocelyn Aspa, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.