Whether you should develop small molecules as a healthcare startup is always a complex question. On the one hand, there are advantages if you can get it right, but on the other, there can be significant drawbacks.
The purpose of this post is to help you in making this decision. We explore the pros and cons of small molecule for longevity and examine how the public perceives it.
The Marketing Potential Could Be Huge
Firstly, the marketing potential of a small longevity drug could be enormous. Everyone wants a pill that makes them live longer and stay healthy.
Recently, several companies have tried to bring a drug like this to market. However, they’ve hit snags.
The good news is that there are plenty of compounds and products out there that are promising and it only seems like a matter of time before the FDA and other authorities approve their first anti-aging drugs.
Small molecules for longevity are expected to net an impressive $93 billion by 2027. That’s an enormous sum of money and plenty for any healthcare startup wanting to make a profit.
The Competition Is Fierce
Unfortunately, the competition is fierce. Many of the world’s top laboratories are racing toward trying to develop these molecules because they know they could be a real money-spinner.
As such, you’ll want to be sure that your position is unique. Your drug should have the potential to outperform anything else in the development or be safer in some way.
The Public Perception Is A Nightmare
At the same time, the public perception around anti-aging drugs is a nightmare. Everyone just assumes they are “snake oil” even though the science supporting them is robust.
The trick here is to find ways to make them more attractive to investors and regulators. If they can treat disease and reduce the pace of aging (as metformin can), then that’s usually a path to success.
The Development Team Can Be Hard To Find
Unfortunately, the talent pool for creating small molecule for longevity is fairly narrow.. There are only a few thousand people in the world with the skills and experience to do it.
One way to get around this is to develop the IP and then go to a contract development and manufacturing organization. The idea here is to outsource some of the more technical lab-related tasks while maintaining a highly effective team in-house.
If you have the budget for this sort of thing in your startup, it’s well worth investing in. Once the drug is discovered and under development, existing manufacturers are better positioned to produce it.
The Timeline Might Be Difficult
The timeline is also something you should consider when you want to develop small-molecule longevity medicines. It’s an exciting idea, but animal and human trials can take years to yield results, and even longer if your drug is effective.
Therefore, you’ll want to ask yourself whether you’re okay with the timeline. The longer it drags on, the less the present value of your investment today. A project focused on small molecule for longevity could take a decade to complete, requiring patience and long-term commitment.
