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Science-backed gerotherapeutics can target the biological mechanisms of aging in order to extend health and prevent and delay diseases and conditions common to our bodies as we grow older. Bolstered by discoveries at academic labs and emerging biotech companies, these innovations are poised to move from bench to bedside.


And from The New York Times to WIRED, the BBC to Netflix, National Geographic to JAMA and beyond, the promise of these age-targeting therapeutic interventions — such as Metformin, Rapamycin, and even GLP-1s — continues to generate media attention and tantalize consumers. At the same time, an explosion of “anti-aging” supplements and claims of biohacking “remedies” from questionable sources is muddying the waters.


Amid this buzz, how do we distinguish the hype from the hope and the science from the spin?

To provide a reality check on the readiness and intentions of gerotherapeutics, AFAR and the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research (AHLR) invite you to a free webinar on the current state of existing and emerging drug interventions to extend healthspan, our years of health as we grow older.


Renowned leaders from the academic, clinical, and private sectors will:

  • Clarify how both repurposing existing drugs and developing novel compounds can extend healthspan

  • Unpack the need for human trials, the importance of an FDA indication for aging, as well as the risks in off-label use and harm of radical life extension claims

  • Counter myths and misinformation with accurate expectations and language

  • Confront barriers that impact gerotherapeutics from safely entering the market

  • Explore how drug and lifestyle interventions work together to help us live healthier, longer at any age


The expert-backed conversation also will touch on hot topics such as the federal path to drug discovery, the momentum of the private biotech sector, the emerging use of GLP1s and SGL2s to extend healthspan, and what’s needed next to bring these promising therapeutics to consumers and clinicians soon.


Please join for an expert-led conversation on the promise of therapeutics to help us all live healthier, longer!



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Matthew Growdon, MD, MPH is a geriatrician and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Growdon’s research is focused on improving the quality and safety of prescribing for older adults. Dr. Growdon received his medical school training at Harvard Medical School and his MPH with an emphasis on quantitative methods from Harvard School of Public Health. He completed residency in internal medicine and primary care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He subsequently completed a clinical geriatrics fellowship in the Harvard Medical School Multicampus Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, a chief residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Advanced Training in Clinical Research Certificate Program at UCSF. Currently, his research is primarily supported by a NIA Beeson K76, through which he is developing a clinical decision framework for optimizing medication use among older adults with cognitive impairment, with an emphasis on those who live alone. Dr. Growdon's mixed-methods work involves the use of large quantitative datasets including Medicare claims, national survey data, and real-world EHR data as well as qualitative methods and implementation science.


Learning Objectives:

1. Describe high-risk medication use and medication management challenges among older adults who live alone with cognitive impairment.

2. Describe perspectives and experiences of older adults who live alone with cognitive impairment regarding medication management.


"High-Risk Medication Use Among Older Adults Living Alone with Cognitive Impairment"

Dr. Matthew Growdon Assistant Professor, UCSF

October 9, 2025 | 1:00-2:00 P.M. MST



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