Wyeth, J&J and Novartis unknowingly distribute anti-aging drugs?

All the media world was talking about a little known drug from Wyeth this morning called rapamycin.

It seems that a study published in Nature magazine found mice treated with rapamycin had a longer lifespan than those that did not.

The Wall Street Journal and NY Times quickly picked up on the story and the WSJ Health Blog offered the following background on the medication:

The name comes from Rapa Nui, the Polynesian name for Easter Island. Scientists first isolated the compound from bacteria from the island’s soil; the bacteria apparently secrete it to fend off bacterial and fungal rivals.

Wyeth actually markets the drug as Rappamune to prevent organ donors from rejecting their new body parts.  It also happens to be used as a compound in drug eluting stents, including J&J’s breakthrough product of a few years ago:  CYPHER.

As luck would have it, Novartis has a similar compound in its development pipeline.  While cardiovascular & cancer are still rule the roost, could the Fountain of Youth be the next big therapeutic focus for the industry?