Navitoclax vs UBX0101
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Two senolytics that were tried in people and came back with different problems. One lowers platelets because of how it works. The other did no better than a dummy shot on knee pain at any dose in 183 people.
- Navitoclax people
- 137
- Navitoclax nulls
- 0
- UBX0101 people
- 183
- UBX0101 nulls
- 0
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
2 completed trials, 137 people given it
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
1 completed trial, 183 people given it
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
NavitoclaxNavitoclax (ABT-263), oral BCL-2, BCL-xL and BCL-w inhibitor
The most-quoted drug for clearing worn-out cells in mice, and the one you cannot give to healthy people. In its first study in people, 29 of 55 cancer patients saw their platelets, the blood cells that stop bleeding, drop to dangerous levels. Platelets stay alive using the same protein the drug blocks.
Column B
UBX0101UBX0101, intra-articular MDM2 to p53 interaction inhibitor (Unity Biotechnology)
The first clean-up drug for worn-out cells tested in a proper study against a real symptom. In 183 people with knee arthritis, knee pain at 12 weeks was the same on every dose as on a dummy shot, according to results the maker posted to the US trial registry.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Navitoclax | UBX0101 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity | Longevity |
| FDA status | Not approved for any use, in any country. It has been tested as a cancer drug since 2006. No study for ageing or for clearing worn-out cells is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. | Not approved. Still investigational. The mid-stage study in osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear kind of arthritis, finished in 2020. Its results were posted to ClinicalTrials.gov in December 2021. The long-term follow-up study was stopped because it could not meet its main or other goals. |
| Half-life | Not reported | Not reported |
| Molecular weight | Not reported | Not reported |
| How it works | Shown in human cells and in mice: navitoclax sits in a pocket on BCL-2, BCL-xL and BCL-w. That frees up other proteins that tell the cell to die, so cells that lean on those three proteins die off. In mice, worn-out cells lean on them, which is why the drug hits those cells hardest. In people, platelets lean on the same protein, so their count drops. The cancer studies confirmed that. The clean-up effect seen in mice has never been shown in a person. | Shown in mice and in cells: UBX0101 blocks a protein that normally breaks down p53, a protein that tells damaged cells to die. With more p53 around, worn-out cells, which rely on keeping p53 down to survive, die off. It is injected straight into the joint, to keep the effect in the knee. In people, the studies did not check whether the shot cleared worn-out cells from the joint. They measured pain and function, not worn-out cells. |
| Studies in people | 4 | 4 |
| Evidence | Moderate: 2 completed trials, 137 people given it | Moderate: 1 completed trial, 183 people given it |
| Legal status, US | Investigational, not approved | Investigational, not approved |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Navitoclax and UBX0101?
Navitoclax: The most-quoted drug for clearing worn-out cells in mice, and the one you cannot give to healthy people. In its first study in people, 29 of 55 cancer patients saw their platelets, the blood cells that stop bleeding, drop to dangerous levels. Platelets stay alive using the same protein the drug blocks. UBX0101: The first clean-up drug for worn-out cells tested in a proper study against a real symptom. In 183 people with knee arthritis, knee pain at 12 weeks was the same on every dose as on a dummy shot, according to results the maker posted to the US trial registry.
Which has stronger research evidence, Navitoclax or UBX0101?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Navitoclax is Moderate (2 completed trials, 137 people given it). UBX0101 is Moderate (1 completed trial, 183 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Navitoclax and UBX0101 FDA-approved?
Navitoclax: Not approved for any use, in any country. It has been tested as a cancer drug since 2006. No study for ageing or for clearing worn-out cells is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.. UBX0101: Not approved. Still investigational. The mid-stage study in osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear kind of arthritis, finished in 2020. Its results were posted to ClinicalTrials.gov in December 2021. The long-term follow-up study was stopped because it could not meet its main or other goals..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.