One of America’s most influential health gurus, and founder of longevity research, has been accused of “selling snake oil” and “misleading” the public over fatal flaws in his studies claiming age can be reversed, according to reports. DailyMail.com has learned.
Dr. David Sinclair, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, has been hit with accusations over the past decade of marketing bogus anti-aging drugs, including one he was paid $720 million to develop by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.
The 54-year-old renowned scientist has previously claimed to have ‘rolled back’ his own age by ten years using unconventional lifestyle hacks. He recently promoted an “unscientific” supplement developed by his company that claimed to reverse aging in dogs.
But the pill is said to be “not supported by data,” according to University of Washington aging professor Matt Kaeberlein.
The controversy led to a slew of resignations from the prestigious research body he founded – the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research – and Dr. Sinclair was eventually forced to resign as president.
Dr. David Sinclair has been forced to leave the Academy of Health and Longevity Research amid controversy over a paper that appeared to claim a supplement could reverse aging in dogs.
The above image shows the membership of the Academy, with Dr. Sinclair (bottom left) listed as founder
Dr. Sinclair has more than a million followers on social media, where he shares news about the latest developments in longevity medicine.
He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book Lifespan, host of a podcast of the same name, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014.
The latest controversy began in February and centered around a study by scientists at the University of North Carolina’s veterinary school and funded by Animal Biosciences, Dr.’s pet longevity startup. Sinclair.
The preprint study, which had not been reviewed by scientific peers as usual, involved 70 dogs given a half dose or a full dose of its supplement, Leap Years, or a placebo for six months.
Leap years contain an ingredient that has gained fame among longevity researchers called NAD+.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an enzyme present in dogs (and humans) that provides energy to cells throughout the body. As a dog ages, NAD+ levels decrease, meaning their cells begin to deteriorate.
When cells lose their ability to produce energy and function properly, it can lead to disease and the breakdown of body functions. Leap years claim to increase NAD+ levels.
The dogs were followed for six months, with 51 dogs completing the study. Animals in the full-dose group showed slight improvements in cognition after three months, as reported by their owners, but the effect did not last for six months.
However, there was no difference between the groups in changes in activity level, walking speed or cognitive tests that the researchers administered
Dr. Sinclair revealed the results on X alongside a promotional image for Leap Year, claiming: ‘First of its kind supplement clinically proven to slow the effects of aging in dogs. Available at LeapYears.com.’
He shared a hyperlink that took his 441,000 followers to a landing page where they could purchase the supplement for $70 to $130 for a month’s supply.
But this statement led to a slew of allegations from scientists who said it was “out of line” for him to make “unscientific claims,” with some even labeling him a “snake oil salesman.”
Dr. Elisabeth Bik, a microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant in San Francisco, told DailyMail.com that his statement was “fraudulent” and that his investigation revealed “questionable research practices.”
She said: ‘His results do not show that he has succeeded in slowing aging in dogs – just improving cognition, which is not longevity.
‘Tests on mice help us decide what to test on humans. Then we have to do a phase 1, phase 2, phase 3 clinical trial and then we can say clinically proven. So it is wrong to say that it is clinically proven at this stage.
“Many people put articles on pre-print servers to try to sell a pill and make it look scientific, but their research will never be published in a scientific journal.”
Dr.’s tweet Sinclair sparked a slew of accusations from scientists who said it was “out of line” for him to make “unscientific claims,” with some even labeling him a “snake oil salesman.”
Forbes removed its article about the supplement when controversy arose over the claims
There was anger online among Dr.’s medical colleagues. Sinclair, including Dr. Matt Kaeberlein – who resigned from Sinclair’s Academy as a result.
Dr. Kaeberlein, a longevity biologist, wrote of he sells to pet owners has “reversed aging in dogs.”
“To me, this is the textbook definition of a snake oil salesman.”
Others told DailyMail.com of their frustration, including Dr. Arlan Richardson, a geriatric medicine researcher at the University of Oklahoma, who also left the academy.
He said: ‘I may be old-fashioned, but I felt it was out of character for the president of a professional scientific organization to make such unscientific claims.
“I didn’t want to be part of an organization with leadership that played fast and loose with the truth. I have informed the board why I am resigning.’
Dr. Sinclair attempted to appease the opposition by issuing an apology internally within the Academy and issuing a correction to his press release on March 5.
He had initially said the supplement was the first “proven anti-aging agent in dogs,” but he changed this to: “Shown to reverse the effects of age-related decline in dogs.”
But on March 13, just eight days after he corrected the release, his resignation was announced.
Dr. Nir Barzilai, an aging researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, wrote online: “We are writing to inform you that David Sinclair has resigned as president of the Academy.
‘We regret all the events leading to David’s resignation and take the lessons learned to heart.
“We hope we can move past these events. The Academy is about science and scientists; everything else is secondary.”
On March 15, Dr. appeared. Sinclair next at the Livelong Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he gave a talk on the potential health benefits of NAD. He made no mention of his problems with the Academy.
Dr. Sinclair did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
This is not the first time the scientist has been accused of exaggerating his research results.
In the early ’00s, the scientist was immersed in extensive analysis of the potential benefits of a molecule called resveratrol – which he believed had “almost miraculous” anti-aging properties in humans.
In 2004, he founded a private company called Sirtris, dedicated to researching the compound.
Resveratrol occurs naturally in many foods such as blueberries and peanuts, as well as in grapes and grape products such as wine. Proponents say it has the potential to change the way cells use energy and reduce inflammatory responses.
In 2008, GSK bought Sirtris for $720 million, making it a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical giant.
But just two years later, GSK terminated Dr.’s resveratrol study. Sinclair, citing disappointing evidence and side effects including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
In 2013, GSK closed the entire subsidiary.
Subsequent studies have repeatedly failed to replicate Dr Sinclair’s results, with papers from 2013 and 2014 finding that the ‘anti-aging effects’ he had observed in animals were due to the fluorescent dye he had used – and not the resveratrol.
Nevertheless, Dr. Sinclair put the drug on the map, with his early studies generating great interest in the drug. Supplement companies are now selling $99 jars of the ingredient, touting a range of purported benefits – from lowering blood pressure to increasing energy.
Now, a decade later, he’s facing similar criticism for his dog longevity supplement – and critics are quick to compare his scientifically weak claims to those about resveratrol.
Dan Elton, a data scientist at Mass General in Boston, wrote of X: “David Sinclair consistently exaggerates the claims of research in which he has a financial interest. It makes me sick.
‘The crazy thing is that he has already made hundreds of millions selling his resveratrol company to GSK, based on shoddy research that didn’t do that. [been] replicated.’
And dr. Bik added: ‘Harvard longevity scientist makes waves with claim about reversing aging in dogs… [Spoiler alert: the supplement does NOT reverse aging in dogs].’