The dasatinib + quercetin combination for clearance of senescent cells is an excellent candidate on the basis of cost, evidence, and amount of information on these compounds, as well as a clear, low-cost, legal path for companies to bring it to patients. The eventual size of the market is every human being much over the age of 50.
1) Senescent cell accumulation is one of the root causes of aging, supported by decades of scientific evidence [1]. In lab mice, removal of senescent cells has partially reversed progression of osteoarthritis, lung disease, kidney disease, tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s disease, and a long and growing list of other age-related conditions.
2) A single treatment of dasatinib + quercetin clears a fraction of senescent cells in aged mice, leading to lasting improvement in health as a result [2]. Monthly treatment of dasatinib + quercetin starting in late old age reverses measures of age-related decline and extends life by 36% in mice [3].
3) Dasatinib is a generic chemotherapy drug, originally approved for the treatment of cancer in 2006 as Sprycel. Pharmacology and side-effects in humans are well characterized [4]. Quercetin is a widely used flavonoid supplement. Quercetin is not effective versus senescent cells when used on its own [5].
4) The non-profit Betterhumans is running human trials of dasatinib + quercetin, as is the Kogod Center at the Mayo Clinic.
5) Dasatinib costs less than US$100 per dose if obtained from manufacturers, deriving a human dose from the mouse studies. Perhaps US$200 per dose in the form of Sprycel via the pharmaceutical market. Quercetin costs less than a dollar per dose.
6) A drug approved by the FDA for one use can be prescribed by physicians for other uses, if in their professional judgment it is safe and effective. This is known as off-label use, and is commonplace for many medications.
[1]: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb02115.x
[2]: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12344
[3]: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-018-0092-9