Cardax Announces Breakthrough Longevity Results with ZanthoSyn® in NIH-Funded Study
Honolulu, Hawaii, December 6, 2023 – Cardax announced today breakthrough longevity results with its specially formulated astaxanthin (the same form used in Cardax’s dietary supplement, ZanthoSyn®) in a study conducted by the Interventions Testing Program (ITP). The ITP is supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and results of this study were published on December 2, 2023, in the high impact longevity journal GeroScience.
The ITP is the gold standard of longevity research and uses lifespan as its primary endpoint. Cardax astaxanthin was included in ITP Cohort 2019 (started in 2019, completed in 2023), and in this study astaxanthin extended the median lifespan of male mice by 12% (p=0.003). In addition, the astaxanthin-treated group demonstrated a consistent survival benefit versus control animals. The median lifespan of female mice also increased but did not reach statistical significance.
Astaxanthin has been previously shown to increase lifespan in yeast, roundworms, and fruit flies, and the ITP has now extended such findings to mammals in this rigorously designed study. Conducting actual lifespan studies in humans would require decades, so the ITP represents the most credible, practical assessment of mammalian lifespan presently available.
“Interventions with life extension benefits of more than 10% in the ITP are rare. Those that do, have side effects limiting chronic use for longevity. Astaxanthin is the only test agent in the twenty-year history of the ITP to combine this level of life extension and exceptional safety for chronic use,” said Dr. Bradley J. Willcox, MD, world renowned Harvard-trained longevity researcher at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, scientific advisor to Cardax, and co-author of the GeroScience paper reporting these results. “Astaxanthin is also commercially available and relatively inexpensive,” added Dr. Willcox.
Research conducted in collaboration with Cardax by Dr. Willcox and Richard Allsopp, PhD, Professor at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and co-author of the above-referenced GeroScience paper, demonstrated astaxanthin’s impact on the anti-aging gene FOXO3 and catalyzed the ITP’s interest in astaxanthin from Cardax.
“This rigorous, highly selective, and independent study adds to the body of evidence supporting astaxanthin’s longevity benefits,” said David G. Watumull, Cardax Chairman and CEO. “We have been working with astaxanthin for twenty-five years and our mission is to grow the awareness of its potential to slow aging and help people continue doing what they love.”
Research reported in this news release was supported by the NIA, part of the NIH, under award numbers U01AG022303, U01AG022307, U01AG022308, and U24AG066346. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the NIH. The NIH is the nation’s medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.
Cardax is a geroscience company focused on pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications of astaxanthin. Cardax markets ZanthoSyn®, a physician recommended astaxanthin dietary supplement for lifespan and healthspan, including joint and muscle function, cognitive performance, and cardiovascular health.* ZanthoSyn® demonstrated 3x the oral bioavailability in a head-to-head human study with a leading microalgal astaxanthin competitor. Cardax is also advancing CDX-101, the Company's pharmaceutical candidate, for the diseases of aging.
The Interventions Testing Program (ITP) is a peer-reviewed program designed to identify agents that extend lifespan and healthspan in mice. The ITP is supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Testing is carried out simultaneously at three sites—the University of Michigan, the Jackson Laboratory, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The three testing sites work closely with the NIA to design and execute a consistent experimental protocol. Each site also brings specialized expertise to the project, including statistical analysis, pharmacology, toxicology, optimal diet compounding, and non-harmful tests of age-sensitive physiological function.
Media Contact
David G. Watumull
Chairman and CEO, Cardax, Inc.
press@cardaxpharma.com
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Released December 6, 2023