She's Here To Make Dogs (And Then Humans) Live Longer - EP 40 Celine Halioua
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this compelling episode of Core Memory, host Ashley Vance sits down with Celine Halioua, CEO of Loyal, a biotech company pioneering the development of longevity drugs for dogs. Halioua shares her journey from being a longevity investor to launching what she believes will be the first FDA-approved drug to extend dogs' lifespans. (09:00) The conversation explores Loyal's unique approach of using dogs as a stepping stone to human longevity therapeutics, their massive clinical trial involving 1,300 dogs, and how they've navigated the complex regulatory landscape. (39:00) Halioua discusses the broader longevity field, Silicon Valley culture, and her philosophy of maximizing probability of success over maximizing efficacy in drug development.
- Main Theme: How Loyal is revolutionizing longevity medicine by starting with dogs to prove efficacy and safety before moving to human applications, while navigating the intersection of biotech innovation and Silicon Valley culture.
Speakers
Celine Halioua
Celine Halioua is the CEO and founder of Loyal, a biotech company developing longevity therapeutics for dogs. She holds an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and pursued a PhD at Oxford in economics of preventative medicine before dropping out to join Laura Deming at the Longevity Fund, one of the first investment funds focused on lifespan extension therapies. At 31, she has raised over $150 million for Loyal and is leading what she believes to be the largest animal health clinical trial ever conducted, with 1,300 dogs enrolled across 70 clinical sites in the US.
Ashley Vance
Ashley Vance is the host of the Core Memory podcast and a renowned technology journalist and author. He's known for his deep reporting on innovative companies and breakthrough technologies, with a particular focus on ambitious entrepreneurs pushing the boundaries of what's possible in fields ranging from biotech to space exploration.
Key Takeaways
Start with the Most Feasible Path to Prove Your Concept
Halioua recognized that the biggest barrier to human longevity drugs wasn't the science, but the practical challenges of proving efficacy. (19:00) Rather than attempting the impossible task of running decade-long human trials costing billions, she chose dogs as an intermediate step. Dogs age faster, allowing researchers to see biological aging effects in six months and lifespan extension results in 4-5 years rather than decades. This strategy maximizes the probability of success rather than optimizing for maximum efficacy, demonstrating how choosing the right path can be more important than having the perfect solution.
Design Your Strategy Around Regulatory Reality, Not Against It
Instead of fighting the FDA's reluctance to approve aging as a treatable condition, Loyal worked within existing regulatory frameworks. (49:00) Halioua explains that rather than "screaming and crying" about regulatory barriers, they figured out how to develop an efficacy package and label claim that achieves their goals without requiring a regulatory battle. This approach of designing around constraints rather than fighting them head-on often leads to more innovative and practical solutions.
Naivety Can Be a Competitive Advantage in Complex Fields
Halioua admits that knowing what she knows now, she probably wouldn't have started Loyal because she could list "a hundred reasons why this company didn't work." (68:00) Her initial naivety allowed her to pursue gene therapy approaches that didn't make sense to experienced biotech investors, but attracted tech investors who saw the broader vision. This demonstrates how too much domain expertise can sometimes paralyze decision-making, while strategic naivety combined with strong fundamentals can drive breakthrough innovation.
Focus on Well-Validated Biology Over Reinventing the Wheel
Loyal's approach differs from many longevity companies by focusing on "extremely well validated aging biology" rather than trying to discover entirely new mechanisms. (28:00) While Halioua acknowledges this approach won't maximize efficacy, it maximizes the probability of success by reducing risk. Their compound isn't rapamycin or metformin, but falls into a similar category of metabolic fitness improvement targeting pathological aging. This strategy of building on proven science rather than betting everything on unproven breakthroughs can be applied across many innovative fields.
Create Market Pressure Through Consumer Demand
The genius of Loyal's strategy extends beyond regulatory approval to market dynamics. (49:20) By proving longevity drugs work in dogs first, Halioua anticipates creating social pressure where people ask, "Why can I get a longevity drug for my dog and not my grandma?" This consumer-driven demand could normalize the concept of longevity therapeutics and pressure the medical establishment to develop human applications. The approach demonstrates how creating visible proof-of-concept in an adjacent market can drive adoption in your ultimate target market.
Statistics & Facts
- Loyal is conducting what they believe to be the largest animal health clinical trial ever, with 1,300 dogs enrolled across 70 clinical sites throughout the US. (09:00) This massive scale was necessary to capture the diversity of aging trajectories and drown out genetic, environmental, and behavioral variables that affect dog longevity.
- The human drug development failure rate is over 90% from initiated drugs to approval, with each stage having a 30-50% probability of failure. (33:20) This high failure rate drives the transactional nature of biotech, where companies often aim to be acquired rather than build independent drug development capabilities.
- Loyal has raised approximately $150 million without having a drug on market yet, demonstrating the significant capital requirements for biotech development. (21:24) This funding supports their multi-year clinical trials and regulatory pathway development.
