The brief

Analyst view

• The Barshop Institute, founded 2001, leads aging research at UT Health San Antonio.
• VITAL-H tests three FDA-approved drugs for slowing aging in healthy older adults.
• A $38M ARPA-H trial enrolling 726 people with focus on Hispanic communities.

Technical approach

As reported

Drug repurposing

FDA-approved molecules

Rather than developing new drugs, VITAL-H uses three existing FDA-approved medications known from preclinical and post-market evidence to affect aging pathways.

Study design

Randomized, controlled trial

Participants are randomly assigned to one of four arms (three drugs or placebo), with 3-year follow-up.

Outcome measures

Healthspan not just lifespan

The trial measures years lived in good health, not just total lifespan, looking at functional decline, cognitive decline, and quality of life markers.

Diverse enrollment

South Texas recruitment focus

The trial prioritizes enrollment from South Texas and Hispanic communities, which have been historically underrepresented in aging research.

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