Top Harvard professor Dr David Sinclair accused of 'selling snake oil' after ... trends now
One of America's most influential health gurus, and founding father of longevity research, has been accused of 'selling snake oil' and 'deceiving' the public due to fatal flaws in his studies that claim age can be reversed, DailyMail.com has learned.
Dr David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, has been hit with allegations of pushing bogus antiaging drugs over the last decade - including one he was paid $720million to develop by pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline.
The 54 year-old renowned scientist has made previous claims that he 'reversed' his own age by a decade using unconventional lifestyle 'hacks,' and most recently promoted an 'unscientific' supplement developed by his company that claimed to reverse aging in dogs.
But the pill is said to 'not be supported by data,' according to University of Washington aging professor Matt Kaeberlein.
The controversy sparked a slew of resignations from the prestigious research body he founded - the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research - and Dr Sinclair was eventually forced to step down as president.
Dr David Sinclair has been forced out of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research amid controversy over a paper that appeared to claim a supplement could reverse aging in dogs
The above image shows the Academy's membership, with Dr Sinclair (bottom left) listed as a founder
Dr Sinclair boasts more than a million followers on social media - where he shares news about the latest advancements in longevity medicine.
He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book Lifespan, host of a podcast by the same name and was recognized in 2014 as one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People.
The latest controversy began in February and centers around a study by scientists at the University of North Carolina's vet school and funded by Dr Sinclair's pet longevity start-up, Animal Biosciences.
The preprint study - which had not been reviewed by scientific colleagues, as is standard, involved 70 dogs who were fed either a half dose or a full dose of his supplement, Leap Years, or a placebo for six months.
Leap Years contains an ingredient that has gained notoriety among longevity researchers called NAD+.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an enzyme present in dogs - and humans - that fuels energy in cells throughout the body. As a dog ages, NAD+ levels decline, meaning their cells begin to deteriorate.
When cells lose their ability to produce energy and function properly, it can lead to disease and the breakdown of bodily functions. Leap Years claims to boost NAD+ levels.
The dogs were tracked for six months, with 51 completing the study. Animals in the full-dose group showed slight improvements in cognition as reported by their owners after three months, but the effect was not maintained through six months.
However, there was no difference between groups in changes in activity level, gait speed or cognitive tests performed by the researchers
Dr Sinclair revealed the results on X alongside a promotional image for Leap Year, claiming: 'First-of-its-kind supplement clinically proven to slow effects of aging in dogs. Available at LeapYears.com.'
He shared a hyperlink that took his 441,000 followers to a landing page where they could buy the supplement for $70 to $130 for a one-month supply.
But this statement prompted a slew of allegations from scientists who said it was 'out of line' for him to make 'unscientific claims,' with some even slamming him as a 'snake oil salesman.'
Dr Elisabeth Bik, a microbiologist and science integrity consultant in San Francisco, told DailyMail.com his statement was 'fraudulent' and his study showed 'questionable research practices.'
She said: 'His results don't show that he managed to slow aging in dogs — just improve cognition, that's not longevity.
'Tests in mice help us decide what to test in humans. Then we need to do a stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 clinical trial and then we can say clinically proven. So it is wrong to say it was clinically proven at this stage.
'A lot of people put papers on pre-print servers to try to
