Forever young: the business of longevity drugs
Summary
The Intelligence examines the commercial and scientific drivers behind the longevity drug industry, featuring The Economist’s Shaila Chitnis on how pharma giants are partnering with biotechs to target aging-related diseases. The episode also investigates whether British crime data supports claims that immigrants commit more sex crimes, with data correspondent James Fransham debunking viral statistics by analyzing conviction rates against adjusted population figures. Finally, the show explores the booming trend of miniature art as a popular, hands-on hobby for escapism.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Capital One and Apollo.io
Introduction and historical context on life extension
Tech leaders and the pursuit of longevity
Pharma's interest in longevity and the GLP-1 model
Regulatory challenges and dual-purpose therapeutics
Evidence for GLP-1 drugs and commercial incentives
Biotech partnerships and aging research strategies
Longevity research in dogs as a proxy for humans
The role of AI in accelerating longevity science
Timeline for longevity drugs and historical false starts
Sponsors: VantageScore and Ernesta Rugs
Introduction to the debate on immigrant crime rates
Data sources and the origin of the 22x claim
Cleaning crime data and absolute conviction numbers
Estimating the Afghan population in Britain
Calculating adjusted conviction rates
Explaining disparities and data caveats
Comparing nationality vs ethnicity data
Conclusion on crime data and transition to miniatures
The miniature convention and the hobby's resurgence
Examples of miniature art and craftsmanship
Demographics of miniaturists and community projects
Psychological appeal of miniatures and closing
Outro and final sponsor: Samaritan's Purse
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