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Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk presented research showing that GLP-1 medications reversed biological aging by two to three years in overweight or diabetic patients, as measured by proteomic aging clocks; the effect varied by clock type.
Novo Nordisk conducted a study measuring blood from 10,052 people, half taking semaglutide and half on placebo, using proteomic clocks to assess biological aging.
Research presented by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk reported that GLP-1 medications reversed biological aging by two to three years in overweight or diabetic patients, according to proteomic aging clocks. The New York Post reported on October 11, 2026 that the difference adds evidence the drugs may also be a longevity treatment.
Novo Nordisk conducted a study that measured blood from 10,052 people, half taking semaglutide and half on placebo, using proteomic clocks to assess biological aging. The New York Post also reported that GLP-1 drugs slowed aging by as much as four years in tests measuring heart proteins, though the effect varied depending on which type of aging clock was used.
The US agency ARPA-H is funding a $38 million study to determine whether semaglutide affects cognition, mobility and sensory acuity in healthy people over 60. That study is a question being asked, not a result. Separately, Fortune published a piece on October 10, 2026 about the Gila monster venom peptide that became the basis for the first GLP-1 medicine, which we covered in our previous edition. Fortune noted that the GLP-1 story shows how patents can reward discovery and push rivals to develop better drugs.
The aging research is still early and the results differed depending on the type of clock used.
Originally published on GLP-1 Nation.
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