Life Extension and PIPA Search 600,000 Molecules in 13 Weeks and Identify New Bioactive Candidates

Powered by PIPA's Food Innovation Operating System (FIOS®), this landmark collaboration demonstrates a new model for ingredient discovery. A brand can now search an entire compound space, rule out unsafe or unviable candidates before the lab, and reach validation in a single quarter.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. and DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Extension and PIPA today announced the results of a 13‑week AI‑driven discovery collaboration aimed at identifying a new generation of natural bioactive compounds with potential functional benefits. Using FIOS, the teams screened ~600,000 natural molecules across multiple biological pathways and advanced five candidates for validation, each already assessed for safety, sourcing feasibility, and regulatory precedent.

The program compresses a discovery process that can traditionally take months or years into a single quarter, while giving scientists a far broader field of candidates to explore. Rather than selecting a small set of ingredients first and addressing commercial constraints later, Life Extension and PIPA screened the full compound space upfront and applied safety, sourcing, and regulatory criteria from the beginning.

A total of 352 high‑value bioactives were identified for scientific review, with five progressing to 60‑to‑90‑day validation programs with predefined go/no‑go criteria.

Traditional supplement development is constrained by how many compounds a research team can practically evaluate. Promising ingredients may also fail late in development because they cannot be sourced reliably, supported from a safety standpoint, or brought to market within regulatory requirements.

With FIOS, PIPA evaluated hundreds of thousands of molecules across several biological mechanisms in parallel, while filtering for practical development requirements before candidates reached Life Extension's scientists.

Fewer than one in 100,000 screened molecules advanced to the final five. Before interpreting the new results, PIPA also benchmarked the screening system against established pharmacology. Each selected lead entered validation with a proposed mechanism of action and documented safety rationale.

AI‑enabled discovery expands the ingredient pool by screening more natural compounds for both biological promise and real‑world viability from the start.

Dr. Andrew Swick, Ph.D., Life Extension Chief Science Office commented, "AI‑driven discovery enables us to evaluate a far broader universe of natural compounds with the scientific rigor Life Extension is known for. By integrating safety, sourcing, and regulatory considerations from the start, we can focus on candidates with real‑world potential and accelerate responsible innovation."

"FIOS searches far wider and asks the safety, regulatory, and sourcing questions first," said Eric Hamborg, CCO of PIPA. "Life Extension's scientists worked on the strongest candidates instead of spending months narrowing the field."

About Life Extension

Since 1980, Life Extension has pursued innovative advances in health, conducting rigorous clinical trials and setting some of the most demanding standards in the industry to offer a full range of quality vitamins and nutritional supplements and blood-testing services. Life Extension's Wellness Specialists provide personalized counsel to help customers choose the right products for optimal health, nutrition and personal care.

To learn more, visit LifeExtension.com.

About PIPA

PIPA is an AI systems company for food intelligence, developing technology that supports food, nutrition, and ingredient companies across the product development lifecycle. Its platforms include LEAP®, for scientific discovery and ingredient innovation, and FIOS®, a Food Innovation Operating System™ connecting the dots in food product development. PIPA's vision is to help make people and the planet healthier.

Media contacts

PIPA: 

Polina Hadjipanayiotou, [email protected]  

Life Extension: 

Rey Searles, Chief Marketing Officer, Life Extension, [email protected]  

SOURCE PIPA