Pharma has the podium as Novo and Lilly stop talking about GLP-1 longevity and start measuring it, bringing early aging data to ARDD.

AstraZeneca, Novartis, Novo (formally Novo Nordisk) and Eli Lilly all spoke from the platform at this year’s ARDD at Harvard. Novo and Lilly each showed early (as yet unpublished) work on validating the healthspan and longevity potential of GLP-1s. Both presentations were heavily caveated; this early work is very encouraging.

Novo: added years

Novo’s Global Project Leader, Research and Development, Nikolaj K Roed, presented data that semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists ‘may’ support healthier aging, presenting evidence on survival and physical function, and that class-level evidence signals broader longevity potential, with semaglutide-specific data strengthening the case through lower mortality, better physical function and modeled gains in life expectancy. Modeled from the SELECT trial effect estimates in a UK real-world semaglutide-specific cohort (n=19,117), remaining life-year gains of 1.9 years overall were projected across every age group, with the largest gain seen at younger treatment ages [1].

Modeled from SELECT effect estimates in a UK real-world cohort (n=19,117); gains were projected across every age group and were largest at younger treatment ages. Ranges shown in brackets. Source: Novo presentation at ARDD 2026.

Semaglutide showed lower proteomic biological age estimates across cardiovascular outcome trials with a rapid effect within 13-20 weeks, with the effect either sustained or enhanced over 150 weeks. Proteomic signatures suggest improvements in vitality and locomotion.

Novo shared that they are exploring consumer Rx indications based on commercial synergies and the degree of consumer/patient pull (the ‘halo effect’ explored in our Longevity Biotech Report) across immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, pain and addiction, women’s and men’s health. Assets within this scope include incretins, amylins, anti-inflammatory assets, and other MOAs.

In a Bloomberg interview in June 2026, Novo CEO Mike Doustdar signalled a clear intent to broaden the company’s ambitions beyond its core obesity and diabetes franchise. He said the GLP-1 franchise could go into longevity research and aesthetic medicine [2]. At ARDD we saw the evidence of this.

Eli Lilly: reduced pace

Kevin Duffin, VP Aging Research at Eli Lilly, presented early epigenetic data suggesting that tirzepatide ‘may’ slow biological aging. He framed it as a small pilot to test methods and check that results are consistent, rather than a definitive result.

The data came from an epigenetic sub-study within SURMOUNT-5, Lilly’s head-to-head trial of tirzepatide against semaglutide. The sub-study took paired whole-blood samples from tirzepatide-treated participants at baseline and at week 72 (equivalent to 1.38 elapsed years), with 91.5% of participants on the 15 mg dose by week 72 [3]. Zymo Research and TruDiagnostic independently generated the methylation data so the two sets could be checked against each other. After quality control, the analysis covered 82 unique subjects, 71 of whom had paired baseline and week 72 data.

All 15 age-unit epigenetic clocks showed less aging than the 1.38 years of chronological time that had passed. Two clocks reached statistical significance, with median gains of 1.1 and 0.7 years over the study period. On pace-of-aging measures, the Zymo data showed DunedinPACE falling from a median of 1.13 to 1.08. TruDiagnostic’s data reproduced the direction of travel across six second-generation clocks, including GrimAge V1 and V2, and showed larger effects on the DunedinPACE and FraminghamPACE pace clocks.

Lilly said this supports the robustness of the pace-of-aging signal. Organ clocks suggested lower predicted age in the immune system, kidney, liver and cardiovascular organs, which Lilly said fits the improved clinical outcomes seen in patient trials. Methylation-based protein predictions (EpiScores) found 21 proteins significantly changed at week 72. The pattern pointed to reduced innate inflammatory signalling, metabolic inflammation and tissue damage, and increased adaptive immune surveillance, and it replicated 28 previously reported diabetes-associated protein signatures. Lilly drew parallels with findings from caloric restriction and bariatric surgery studies.

Epigenetic sub-study within SURMOUNT-5 (tirzepatide arm only; n=71 paired subjects, baseline to week 72); all 15 age-unit clocks showed less epigenetic aging than the 1.38 years of chronological time elapsed, with two reaching statistical significance. Single-arm and not placebo-corrected; findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating. Source: Eli Lilly presentation at ARDD 2026.

The presentation was heavily caveated: the sub-study was small and single-arm, with no placebo or control; follow-up was short relative to the measurement error of the clocks; some clock signals were discordant or unresolved; several predicted protein changes did not match actual measurements, including VCAM1, SHBG and TNFRSF1B; the clocks themselves were not trained on randomized controlled trial (RCT) or longitudinal data.

Lilly called the findings preliminary and hypothesis-generating, needing replication in larger, ideally randomized studies. It is planning to expand the work to semaglutide and other chronic weight management studies.

So, we’re on our way

With both Novo and Lilly now applying biological-age readouts to their GLP-1 franchises, the industry’s two largest obesity players are building the evidence base that the FDA panel said the field itself must supply.

At ARDD 2023 we asked are GLP-1s the first longevity drugs?; at ARDD 2025, Novo and Lilly both referred to them as longevity drugs; ARDD 2026 Novo and Lilly shared the clinical study data: are GLP-1s longevity drugs? Yes, the evidence says they could well be.

We’re predicting longevity biotech revenues of $617b by 2045; how much of that will be allocated to GLP-1s and their future derivatives, or even more effective interventions, we will learn over time. This is a race with more than two participants – and the race is now on.

Read more of our on-the-spot coverage of ARDD 2026 – CLICK HERE.

[1] https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-07/novo-nordisk-ceo-looks-beyond-weight-loss-to-longevity-aesthetics
[3] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394