Talking prevention and treatments for Longevity with Prodrome’s Dayan Goodenowe.

Detecting prodromes – an early indication of a developing condition or disease – could revolutionise Longevity. Preventative medicine could be tailored to specific conditions and arrest conditions such as cancer years before develop.

Longevity.Technology: Healthcare has already migrated from ‘cure’ to ‘intervention’ and will ultimately move to ‘prevention’. These new states: intervention and prevention, succinctly describe Longevity and this why we were interested to find out what the science behind prodromes is and how it can be used in medicine; we connected with Dr Dayan Goodenowe, the founder, CEO, and President of Prodrome Sciences.

Longevity.Technology: How did Prodrome get started?
Dayan Goodenowe: My formal training is in psychiatry. Specifically, the biochemical mechanisms of psychiatric disease. However, the technology that I needed to perform the research that I wanted to do, did not exist at that time, so I had to invent and develop certain key technologies before I could resume my research interests.

The core technology that I invented is called “Non-targeted complex sample analysis”. It combines specialized chemistry extraction and sample preparation techniques and customized ultra-high resolution, ultra-high accuracy mass spectrometry technology to comprehensively measure all the biochemicals present in a biological sample.

Unlike genetic based technologies such as gene chips and proteomics which are linear chains of defined building blocks (bases or amino acids) which can be sequenced and then the sequences can be directly matched to the genome of the host, biochemistry is decoupled from the genetics of the host. Glucose is glucose regardless of whether it is in a plant, a fungus or a human being.

When I applied this technology to the study of human health and disease the most surprising outcome from this research involving 1000s of human subjects is that the technology was detecting changes in biochemistry that preceded disease and was actually causing disease, not caused by disease. These observations exposed the falsity of my original hypothesis.

“… we commonly refer to as “disease” is actually the predictable end result of a biochemical system failure that the host was unable to correct …”

The logical conclusion became obvious: what we commonly refer to as “disease” is actually the predictable end result of a biochemical system failure that the host was unable to correct through endogenous genetic or external environmental adaptation responses. Most importantly, these disease causing biochemical dysfunctions are not innate – we are not born with them (except in rare situations) – they manifest during our lifetime.

The foundational philosophy of Prodrome Sciences is the application of comprehensive biochemical detection technology to monitor and detect changes in a person’s optimal biochemical equilibria and then the application of targeted metabolic supplementation to restore and maintain these equilibria indefinitely. This, we believe, is the true mechanism to achieve extended longevity and vitality.

“This, we believe, is the true mechanism to achieve extended longevity and vitality.”

Longevity.Technology: What are the unique selling points of the products that you have developed? How do they differ from Rejuvant for example?
Dayan Goodenowe: I take a fundamentally different approach to what is commonly referred to as “aging”. In fact, there is no such thing as aging. The term “aging” is a convenient crutch that we use as scientists to describe biological changes that we do not understand. It is an associative term with no inherent meaning.

Therefore, I cannot reverse aging – I cannot change the year you were born. Accordingly, I am only interested in the maintenance and optimization of defined biological functions that can be measured – such as cognition, mobility, mood. Human biology is a complex system and it suffers the fate of all complex systems – increased entropy (disorder). External energy must be applied to all systems to maintain order (your bed will not make itself in the morning).

What we do is identify biochemical disorder (for example – low blood plasmalogen levels) and then design natural, bioidentical metabolic intermediates (for example the ProdromeNeuro plasmalogen precursor) that will restore and optimize order in the system.

Longevity.Technology: What other plans for human trials do you have?
Dayan Goodenowe: We have three clinical trials happening this year using our ProdromeNeuro plasmalogen oil in patients with neurological diseases, including one funded by the Alzheimer’s Association (PCTR-16-381605, Part the Cloud).

We also have several ongoing clinical trials around the world using our ProdromeScan blood test in various diseases such as colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Longevity.Technology: What is the duration of treatment for taking Plasmalogen oils and what is the optimum age for starting treatment for those with neurodegenerative diseases?
Dayan Goodenowe: Our plasmalogen oils correct a deficiency that occurs when the body’s production capacity is less than required for optimal levels. Unfortunately, this deficiency occurs in approximately 90% of persons over the age of 60. Plasmalogens are vital for many functions and are found in high concentrations in the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and eyes. The optimum time to take the plasmalogen supplement is before any symptoms of decreased neurological function are evident, typically around age 50.

Since the body continually uses plasmalogens up as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory molecules, and to repair damaged cells, it is important to continue supplementation for life but often at a lower dose to maintain levels. For those with a pre-existing neurological health condition, it is important to work with a doctor to determine the best dosage which often includes doubling the dose for one to two months.

Longevity.Technology: In your report you focus on Dementia, Parkinson’s and AD. What other treatments for Longevity do you envisage focusing on in the future?
Dayan Goodenowe: Our ProdromeNeuro plasmalogen oil is just the beginning for us. I’ve been studying biochemical system imbalances for over 15 years now. I’ve identified five key areas to target that we will introduce over the next year.

Longevity.Technology: What are Prodrome’s plans for the next year and beyond?
Dayan Goodenowe: Today our focus is on our two products, ProdromeNeuro plasmalogen oil and ProdromeScan blood test. This year we will continue to develop plans to distribute the products globally. Beyond this year our goal is to introduce a new health model that can be adopted by governments, businesses, hospitals, and individuals.

Longevity.Technology: When do you envisage Prodrome being commercially available?
Dayan Goodenowe: Our ProdromeNeuro plasmalogen oil and ProdromeScan blood test are available right now and we have several specialist clinics using them.

“…you actually have control over your biochemistry – you can change it.”

Longevity.Technology: What are the main business challenges you face?
Dayan Goodenowe: Awareness, Education, and Communication. The first door that needs to be opened regarding a biochemistry-based longevity program is becoming aware that unlike your genetics, you actually have control over your biochemistry – you can change it. From here, the next step is to demystify biochemistry, which is overwhelming and even scary to most people. People don’t feel that it is in within their reach to understand or modify their biochemistry. So, simplifying the key biochemical systems into packages that regular people can understand is critical. Once people realize that you don’t have to be an expert to understand and optimize your own biochemistry, then our products can make this journey fun and rewarding.

Another key challenge is teaching people to understand the underlying biochemical meaning of a biomarker test and to not just focus on the number. If you understand and focus on the cause, the numbers will take care of themselves.

Longevity.Technology: Where does Prodrome’s funding come from?
Dayan Goodenowe: We are privately funded by a small number of like-minded people in addition to our grant from the Alzheimer’s Association. We are always interested in strategic investment and business partnership opportunities, so interested parties should get in touch!

“I can think of nothing that would advance longevity science and save more lives and health care dollars than this.”

Longevity.Technology: If you had the power to change one thing about the world to help improve global Longevity, what would it be?
Dayan Goodenowe: Optimal human health requires the respectful separation, balance, and application of both mortality science and longevity science. This requires two different types of doctors and two different types of infrastructures. Our entire health infrastructure is based upon mortality science (the prevention of death).

Mortality science is focused on disease and how to prevent a disease from killing you. It is predicated by the presence of disease. Mortality scientists focus on everything there is to know about a disease and how to stop it before it kills you; this is very good science to have if you ever get in a car accident or have a tumor.

Longevity science is focused on function and how to maintain function indefinitely. Longevity science has nothing to do with disease. The successful implementation of Longevity science will reduce our reliance on mortality science through the indirect prevention of disease. However, it is very difficult to measure prevention and it is not viscerally rewarding (success is when something bad that may or may not happen, happens less – boring). We need to implement financial incentives that reward the maintenance of function and it needs to be consumer-based, not institutional based.

We should pay, in real dollars, people who maintain objectively measurable function (10 meter walk, grip strength, cognition, etc). If people actually get paid to be high functioning, they will spend their money on companies that will help them maintain function and maintain their paycheck.

Companies will be incentivized to develop products for these consumers and they will compete to develop efficient consumer-friendly products and programs (that people will voluntarily do). I can think of nothing that would advance longevity science and save more lives and health care dollars than this.