Dylan Livingston of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI) explains why political longevity activism needs to exist.  He addresses policy roadblocks, public awareness, and how major federal bureaucracies, such as ARPA-H and the FDA, can be shifted towards the development of rejuvenation biotechnologies that actually work. He emphasizes that this isn't going to be easy, and he suggests ways for you to help.

Key points from presentation

Why political action is needed for longevity:

• remove roadblocks (funding of geroscience, regulatory pathway for longevity drugs)
• raise public awareness
• demonstrate it is a mature industry

Key initiatives:

• longevity caucus in US house of representatives
• increase funding for NIA
• FDA reform
• ARPA-H reform
• CBO-funding longevity dividend study

Other notes:

• Everyone ages - whether on left or right of political spectrum
• Need politicians from both parties
• Want NIA Division of Aging Biology budget to be $1 bn by 2025
• Not pushing to define aging as a disease (yet)
• Want a similar pathway to Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy RMAT designation
• ARPA-H mission is to fund highest risk, highest reward biomedical endeavours
• Want government to produce their own longevity dividend numbers
• Wants similar goal as UK to add 5 years healthy life expectancy by 2035
• Need to be aware of election cycle - don't tend to get bipartisan agreements in second half.