Thesis

$URO and $RIF are the first two tokens launched on pump.science, a launchpad for scientific experiments. pump.science enables scientists to raise research funding by tokenizing their compounds under investigation, initially in longevity research, turning both the scientific community and crypto users into patrons and, potentially, stakeholders of scientific breakthroughs. If compound testing is funded via sufficient token purchases, the experiment is initiated, and data is streamed back to users to create a continuous substrate for speculation beyond initial funding for users. 

$URO, the first token launched on pump.science, is the token behind Urolithin A—a compound found in pomegranates, which is being studied for its ability to improve mitochondrial function and cellular health. $RIF, meanwhile, is the token behind rifampicin, a well-studied antibiotic, now under investigation for its potential anti-aging benefits. Both tokens offer unique opportunities within the nascent decentralized science (DeSci) ecosystem.

Funding for longevity research has been constrained by traditional grant cycles and limited venture capital interest. By introducing mechanisms for anyone to fund research through tokenization, pump.science is enabling financial incentives that could lead to faster research and development of anti-aging therapies, culminating in a marketplace of anti-aging therapies where product revenue rewards token holders of each particular product.

Overview of pump.science

pump.science leverages memecoin tokenomics to fuel scientific research. Each compound submission creates a token on pump.science, which raises funding via token trading. The compound ‘unlocks’ new experiments when market cap milestones are reached.

The compound advances to more complex model organisms if the token price increases and more fees are generated to fund the research. This culminates in human studies and the productization of the compound. If users purchase the physical product, revenue goes to buyback and burn the compound’s underlying token. 

The exact experiment protocol is currently C elegans (worms), followed by flies, mice, and humans. Worms and flies are both tested for lifespan, given they can be measured on short time scales of 30 and 90 days, respectively. Mice live for 2+ years, too long to retain the attention of tokenholders. So, aged mice will be given functional (not longevity) tests to see whether the compound can improve their endurance, a surrogate for longevity. Likewise for humans, who will be placebo-controlled and tested for health biomarkers including VO2max, the best correlate with human longevity.

Ultimately, the pump.science experimental protocol is subject to change, and attempts to find the intersection between what is scientifically valid, valuable, and entertaining. All three conditions must be met for the success of pump.science. Ultimately, what any token holders of pump.science are betting on is the memetic value of compounds. While it is true that the compound will go on to be tested in higher-order model organisms and humans (when possible), and hold scientific and IP value, most early participants in this market are betting on the memetic value of the compounds. If compounds result in valuable products, the scientific value should fuel their memetic value, especially with a token buyback and burn mechanism.

Overview of $URO

$URO is the token for Urolithin A, a compound that has already shown positive results in improving mitochondrial health in mice and human studies. It promotes degradation of damaged mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell) and formation of new mitochondria. 

$URO is a dark horse. Currently, shadowed by $RIF, it has by far more evidence for its longevity benefits. Urolithin A has been shown in a human clinical trial to increase muscle strength by 12% in middle-aged adults, via increased mitochondrial efficiency and reduced inflammation. In this same trial, the authors showed that participants who supplemented 1000 mg daily with Urolithin A saw a 10% increase in their VO2,max, the best predictor of human longevity, indicating that Urolithin A may be a lifespan-promoting compound. Studies have also shown Urolithin A's ability to enhance mitochondrial function, with implications for aging and disease management, particularly in Parkinson's disease.

The utility of $URO extends beyond mere speculation. By holding $URO, token holders can vote on whether to commercialize a Urolithin A supplement and decide on licensing terms, directly influencing how data can be leveraged for marketing and commercial partnerships. $URO will also serve as a tool for incentivizing research participation, funding scientific experiments, and providing access to exclusive research data or products. With an expanding market cap, $URO could unlock additional utilities, such as governance within scientific Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), where token holders have a say in the direction of research, fostering a self-sustaining ecosystem.

The smaller market cap of $URO compared to $RIF at certain points suggests significant growth potential, particularly if the DeSci narrative gains further traction. Urolithin A's focus on anti-aging and health enhancement has been supported by several scientific studies, providing a robust foundation for its investment appeal:

From an investment perspective, the commercialization of Urolithin A has attracted significant funding:

• Amazentis SA, a key player in Urolithin A research, has raised over $9m through various rounds, culminating in substantial investments from companies like Nestlé and L'Oréal, betting on Urolithin A's potential in both supplement and skincare markets.

• Timeline Nutrition, another company amplifying Urolithin A, recently raised $66m, is focused on its longevity and health tech, with products like Mitopure gaining institutional traction.

In contrast, while Rifampicin ($RIF) remains vital for antibiotic treatment, its market as a prescription drug doesn't offer the same consumer accessibility or speculative allure. $RIF's utility, while significant in traditional healthcare, lacks the innovative edge in longevity or biohacking spaces. This comparison underscores why Urolithin A, with its OTC status, could have a broader market appeal with $URO and potentially justify a valuation exceeding $1 billion as the network effect grows and more scientific and commercial applications emerge.

Overview of $RIF
$RIF is a token that is backed by Rifampicin, a staple of antimicrobial treatments for decades, but recent studies have indicated it could have additional applications for aging by impacting protein aggregation and autophagy. 

The DrugAge database has 12 studies that indicate that Rifampicin may extend lifespan. 11 of the 12 are in C. elegans and one in flies. Golegaonkar et al, a C elegans study, noted that “we also show that supplementing rifampicin late in adulthood is sufficient to increase lifespan.” In mouse models, there is evidence that Rifampicin may be useful in improving diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease biomarkers.

Rifampicin increased the lifespan in the worm experiments launched on pump.science, likely fueling $RIF’s larger price increase relative to $URO. Ultimately, the fate of $RIF depends on 1) being the gateway drug of DeSci on Solana and 2) the genuine IP value of Rifampicin. $RIF was launched on pump.fun, looks and feels like a memecoin, but traders who dig in realize that this is the canary in the coal mine for DeSci projects. $RIF is currently the most valuable DeSci project on Solana, and so it represents a blue chip bet on the DeSci space. That said, it will be difficult for the team to advance Rifampicin to human trials given that it is already an approved antibiotic for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Though human trials will be difficult to pursue with Rifampicin, animal trials may be a promising path. The animal longevity market is exploding, with companies such as Loyal and Animal Biosciences being two of the market leaders. The animal health market is poised to grow from 60B today to 150B by 2032. Rifampicin is already approved for use in several companion animals. However, it has been known to cause liver toxicity issues. To mitigate those, the team will be pursuing both Rifampicin and Rifampicin quinone, the latter of which has reduced antimicrobial activity, but also reduced liver toxicity issues while maintaining its longevity promoting effectiveness. Not only is this a viable commercial strategy, but also incredibly meme-able given crypto’s obsession with cats and dogs. This provisional patent will be the cat rif patent (cat Rifampicin patent). 

Catalysts

1. Mice Trials: Both $URO and $RIF are still being tested on flies on a continuous basis for their longevity effects. However, there seems to be relatively little engagement with the experiments themselves. Mouse experiments will be far more entertaining and paired with prediction markets that users can use to bet on individual experiments. “Which mouse will survive the longest on the rotarod?”, “Will Rifampicin make the mice faster than control?”; these are some of the prediction markets that can drive attention to the mice experiments, and therefore $URO and $RIF.

2. Large Animal Trial for $RIF: Rifampicin and/or Rifampicin quinone are strong candidates for an animal longevity experiment. Human studies will be a huge burden for RIF, but animal longevity is much more feasible, lower cost, and faster. Given the meme-ability of dogs/cats in the crypto space, this would likely have a strong market fit in addition to commercial viability and has the potential to be a strong catalyst for $RIF.

3. Human Studies: Human studies will likely be a large enough catalyst to capture the attention of the traditional pharma and biotech crowd, especially if the data from those studies are completely transparent, live, open-sourced, and positive. A study like this would be absolutely unparalleled. This will be far easier to launch for Urolithin A, since it is already an approved supplement, and clinical trial data has already been demonstrated, so a study would just need to be properly designed to confirm the positive results.

4. E-commerce Marketplace: The launch of an e-commerce store for products developed on pump.science would be explosive for growth. Not only would this help the token holders understand the end game for the tokens developed on the platform (buyback and burn mechanics), but it would also bring in net new liquidity into the market via product sales. By enabling normies to purchase products from a legit e-commerce store, indirectly bringing in more liquidity into the pump.science market without necessarily realizing it.
   

Risks

1. Negative Research Outcomes: The biggest risk is that either compound fails to show meaningful anti-aging effects in ongoing research. Given that both are early-stage, this is a significant risk that token holders must keep in mind. This may have nothing to do with the efficacy of the compounds, but be poor luck or poor study design. Given capital restraints, both the fly and mice studies could be underpowered statistically, which may lead to a negative research result.

2. Regulatory Scrutiny: While pump.science aims to operate in a compliant manner, tokenizing research compounds is a novel concept that could face scrutiny, especially as more value is accrued. Token holders should consider the possibility of unforeseen regulatory actions by either drug regulatory or securities agencies.

3. Narrative Fatigue: DeSci is a hyped space right now, but market narratives change fast. If token holder sentiment swings away from DeSci as a viable avenue, both $URO and $RIF could see reduced liquidity and interest. Many tokenholders are not scientists, nor do they care about the science, but rather are memecoin speculators. As the research takes time to execute, and the degens are impatient for ‘news’, they may get impatient and sell the tokens due to lack of long-term conviction, but rather a momentum trading and inability to see the scientific / product value of the compounds.
   

Summary

$URO and $RIF represent a novel intersection of DeFi and biotech, allowing retail token holders to directly back longevity research. If pump.science continues to grow, positive data emerges from studies, and larger animals and humans can be tested on, these tokens could see substantial appreciation. In the short term, the tokens will be valued based on the platform value, entertainment value of the experiments, and narrative. In the long term, the value should stabilize at the value of any sales from Rifampicin or Urolithin A products. However, the risks remain high given the early research stage and the regulatory uncertainty surrounding tokenized research funding.