The US Military invests in advanced weaponry as well as in potentials to enhance human performance. To this end, the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) will collaborate with MetroBiotech to conduct clinical trials examine the pill’s anti-aging and anti-injury properties, as part of a larger Pentagon effort to boost personnel fitness.
US Military Funds Anti-aging Researches
“Anti-aging supplement has the potential, if successful, to truly delay aging and truly prevent the onset of injury – which is just incredibly game-changing,” said Lisa Sanders, director of science and technology (SOF AT&L). SOCOM will partner with MetroBiotech to create the pill using Other Transaction Authority (OTA) money.
Sanders stated that SOCOM has been able to “explore things in this emerging domain of biotechnology” through collaborating with industry and academic institutions to advance research that may result in health improvements for troops.
MetroBiotech’s Military Partnership
David Sinclair, a Harvard professor, and anti-aging expert, chairs MetroBiotech’s board of advisers. Although the exact content of the pill is unclear, MetroBiotech and Dr. Sinclair have produced anti-aging medications using the chemical nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) (learn more here), such as MIB-626 . NAD+ levels decline with age, and boosting them may have the reverse effect, rejuvenating the body and enhancing performance.
Increasing NAD+ for Longevity and Health
Nutraceuticals, such as the anti-aging tablet being evaluated by SOCOM, contain health-promoting dietary additives that increase NAD+ levels. Increased NAD+ levels throughout aging, according to MetroBiotech’s business strategy, may help individuals live longer and healthier lives.
“These efforts are not aimed at developing physical characteristics that do not exist naturally. This is about boosting our soldiers’ mission readiness by strengthening performance qualities that generally diminish with aging,” Tim Hawkins, a SOCOM official, explained. “In essence, we are collaborating with leading industry partners and clinical research institutions to develop a nutraceutical in the form of a pill that is suitable for a variety of applications by civilians and military personnel, with potential benefits including increased endurance and faster recovery from injury.”
Establishing if increasing NAD+ levels improve troop performance will be a critical step in establishing whether NAD+ is a viable molecular target for improving human health.
