Anagathic

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Anagathics
Type Drugs
Tech Level TL–15
Cost Cr30,000 per dose
Size Various
Weight Various

Anagathics or Antiagathics are drugs which counteract the aging process. [1]. Anagathics are a mixture of several compounds that help prevent aging and prolong life in Humans and other sophonts. The drugs are a regimen of regular monthly doses. These drugs are both rare and expensive.

The regimen needs to be started during the Adult life stage, prior to the onset of age-related degeneration. The user may reach an age of 100 or more before seeing any age-related effects. It takes a while for the total effects of anagathics to be felt; it also takes a while for the effects of anagathics to totally go away. However, there are withdrawal effects from interrupting the supply of anagathics. Obviously, anagathics are most effective if they can be taken long-term without interruption. A continually interrupted supply can have devastating side-effects.

In medical terms, antiagathics are known to confer a form of biological immortality through the conference of a stable or decreasing rate of mortality from cellular senescence as a function of chronological age. In addition to the terms Anagathics and Antiagathics, the specific drugs are known as Anti-senescent or gerontological medications. Informally they are referred to as Anti-aging, Life extension, or Rejuvenator drugs.

Many cultures prior to the introduction of functioning Antiagathics have legends about the Elixir of life, a magical treatment which will grant extended or eternal life.

The cultural reaction to the availability of antiagathics varies widely. The general cost prohibits all but the richest from using it and allowing the elite to extend their period of dominance of government or corporations from a few decades to a century or more by forming a perpetual Gerontocracy. Some cultures view this as stability, while other reject anagathics as stagnation. Imperial society frowns on Nobles who use antiagathics, but does not otherwise ban or regulate them.

Prior to several TL–15 breakthroughs, anagathic treatments were assembled from organic compounds generated by life forms on many different worlds. Because the compounds were difficult to reproduce in a laboratory finding reliable sources for these materials was of great importance. Some of these sources were widely known, others were kept as tightly held secrets.

The following systems and worlds are known sources of anagathic materials:

11 of 11 World articles in Anagathic
Abir  •  Anagathica  •  Arcanum  •  Earlyu  •  Forboldn  •  Granporr  •  Irikrough  •  Knorbes  •  Medurma  •  St. George (Vl 2616)  •  Terra (SR 1827)  •  
startbacknext(11 listed)


Some sources of antiagathic substances in Charted Space include:

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