From Blockbuster Medicine to Extending Healthspan with Sundeep Dugar PhD

On Beyond Longevity, host Daphna speaks with Dr Sundeep Dugar, PhD, co-founder of BlueOakNx and the scientists behind the blockbuster cholesterol medicines Zetia (ezetimibe) and Vytorin. He explains how Zetia transformed cholesterol treatment by blocking cholesterol absorption in the intestine, and reflects on what it really takes to discover a breakthrough medicine: collaboration, perseverance, intellectual honesty, and the willingness to follow the data despite constant uncertainty.Dr Sundeep discusses why artificial intelligence is set to transform drug discovery by accelerating analysis and identifying patterns that humans might miss, while arguing that it cannot replace scientific judgment or the need to validate therapies in complex biological systems. He also critiques modern drug development for being overly reductionist, focusing heavily on efficacy while too often overlooking whole-body biology and long-term safety.The conversation explores his decision to leave traditional pharmaceutical drug development and focus instead on extending healthspan through BlueOakNx. He explains the science behind mitochondrial health and epicatechin, a naturally occurring compound that promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and energy production, while emphasising that it is designed to complement—not replace—the foundations of good health, including exercise, sleep and nutrition.Dr Sundeep also explains why BlueOakNx chose the nutraceutical route, believing it offered the fastest way to make scientifically grounded interventions more accessible, more affordable and available to more people than the conventional pharmaceutical pathway. He discusses the company’s collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences on a symposium series focused on energy metabolism, and BlueOakNx’s selection as one of just 40 teams chosen from more than 600 applicants to compete in the $101 million XPRIZE Healthspan competition.Resources* BlueOakNx website* Dr Sundeep’s LinkedIn* New York Academy of Sciences – Energy Symposium Series00:00 Podcast Intro Guest02:32 Blockbuster Drugs Legacy05:37 How Zetia Was Found07:29 Breakthroughs Doubt Lab11:46 AI Limits Drug Discovery17:47 Why Drug Candidates Fail20:52 From Pharma to Ageing21:54 Mitochondria Energy Quest27:23 Blue Oak Mission Epicatechin31:57 Key Terms Next Steps32:13 Not a Muscle Pill32:59 Mitochondria and Real Exercise34:26 Ageing and Energy Decline35:26 Supplement Not a Substitute37:19 Why Go Nutraceutical41:01 Science and Access Model43:50 Affordability and Outreach46:41 XPRIZE Healthspan Entry49:39 Safety First Philosophy54:14 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up58:06 Host Closing Message