Chinese biotechnology startup Lonvi Biosciences has announced the development of an experimental pill with grape seed extract, which the company claims can significantly extend human lifespan — up to 150 years.
Lonvi claims that the drug not only fights age-related changes, but can also reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. The pill targets so-called “zombie cells” — old cells that have stopped dividing but continue to cause inflammation in the body.
The startup's CEO, Yip Zhu, called the drug the "Holy Grail" of bioscience, and Chief Technical Officer Liu Qinghua said that the prospect of living to 150 years is "quite real" and could become available within a few years.
The drug is based on procyanidin C1 (PCC1), a molecule isolated from grape seeds. It has previously been linked to increased survival in laboratory rodents. According to Lonvi, mice treated with the drug lived an average of 9.4% longer, and if treatment was started at birth, lifespan increased by 64.2%.
In China, the average life expectancy in 2024 was 79 years, significantly higher than the global average. The growing interest in longevity is encouraging both government officials and private companies to invest resources in research into extending life.
According to Gan Yu, co-founder of Shanghai-based company Time Pie, more and more Chinese people have the motivation and resources to invest in their own longevity.
