Life Biosciences Doses 1st Human With Aging-Reversal Drug in FDA Eye Trial

3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 9

One glaucoma patient has received ER-100 in a single eye, marking the first human test of cellular reprogramming after years of mouse and monkey research.
Six months of follow-up will gauge whether the therapy can restore function safely by making aging cells act younger without fully resetting them into stem cells.
About 20 patients are slated for the initial FDA trial at clinics in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Charleston, including people with glaucoma or NAION vision loss.
Cancer risk is the central hurdle: Life says the treatment uses three Yamanaka factors, not four, and can be switched off if patients stop daily doxycycline.
The milestone lands as Eli Lilly, Merck, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman back similar longevity bets, though any approved anti-aging therapy is still likely more than a decade away.

Sources

Business Insider4h ago

Life Biosciences Injects First Human with Cellular Reprogramming Drug to Reverse Aging

lifespan.io4h ago

First Human Cellular Reprogramming Trial Cleared by the FDA

Harvard Medical School4h ago

Loss of Epigenetic Information Can Drive Aging, Restoration Can Reverse It | Harvard Medical School

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First-in-Human Trial of ER-100: Pioneering Epigenetic Rejuvenation Therapy Targets Age-Related Vision Loss

Overview

Life Biosciences has made a major step in regenerative medicine by dosing the first human in a Phase 1 clinical trial of ER-100, an investigational gene therapy for age-related vision loss. ER-100 targets conditions like open-angle glaucoma and NAION, using the company’s Epigenetic Restoration platform. This platform works by controlling the expression of three key transcription factors—OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4—to rejuvenate damaged cells. The trial, which began in early 2026, aims to test if this innovative approach can safely restore vision by reversing cellular aging, marking a new era in treating age-related diseases.

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