--- title: "Tech Bro Thinks He’s Close to Cheating Death" description: "A bold proposal: that by 2050, a 70-year-old will look and feel like they’re 50. That’s the gamble that 35-year-old James Peyer is taking with this Cambrian Biopharma “longevity startup,” the Times of London reported. A stem cell researcher who founded his startup with the psychedelic-loving German billionaire Christian Angermayer, Peyer believes that aging is a […]" date: "2021-12-14" modified: "2021-12-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/cambrian-biopharma-cheating-death" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "RX and Medicine" tags: - "anti-aging" - "longevity" - "venture capital" --- # Tech Bro Thinks He’s Close to Cheating Death ![]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* A bold proposal: that by 2050, a 70-year-old will look and feel like they're 50. That's the gamble that 35-year-old James Peyer is taking with this Cambrian Biopharma "longevity startup," the [*Times of London* reports](). "Of our 100,000-year-plus history as a species, it’s been for only about 75 years that these diseases of ageing have been the primary predators of humankind," he told the newspaper. "We are rapidly zeroing in on our biggest predators — diseases of \[aging\] — and figuring out how to beat them back." A stem cell researcher who founded his startup with the psychedelic-loving German billionaire Christian Angermayer, Peyer believes that aging is a disease that humans can fight with pharmaceuticals. He plans to prove it first by identifying disorders and diseases that mimic aging, such as those that cause loss of muscle mass, and then partner with researchers studying medicines for said diseases. Next, after starting companies to sell the drugs associated with the diseases identified, Peyer wants to expand research on those medications for off-label anti-aging purposes, ultimately gaining government approval for those indications. While it may seem galaxy-brained on its face, the venture capital world is taking note. Last month, Cambrian Biopharma successfully raised $100 million from "a visionary group of investors," as Peyer [said in a press release](). As the *Times* noted, some Silicon Valley types have already begun taking metformin, a generic diabetes drug used to control blood sugar levels. While a few [preliminary studies]() have [shown metformin to have anti-aging properties](), it's not been widely researched because "aging" is not considered a disease by any governmental bodies. But an anonymous "visionary" has already put up half the $70 million to fund a proper human trial of metformin as a longevity drug. All told, it's yet another startup-world attempt at the ancient human preoccupation of [trying to cheat death](). If they can pull it off, it'd shift the entire course of human history, for better or worse — but whether that goal is possible is anyone's guess. **Read more:** [US tech investors believe they’re close to a cure for old age]() \[*The Times of London*\] **More on the wealthy's fear of death:** [*Stealing the Blood of the Young May Make You More Youthful*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()