One of the challenges inherent in developing an industry of medical development aimed at the treatment of aging is that present regulatory structure and investment culture actively discourage any attempt to quantify effects on life span. While aging clocks are interesting, they cannot yet be relied upon, and no-one is willing to fund the lengthy studies needed to assess the effects of any given therapy on long term health the old-fashioned way, by waiting and watching. Aging is not yet considered a treatable medical condition by regulators, and so developers are forced by investors into optimizing their approaches to therapy for specific age-related conditions, as that is the fastest path to market.
The XPRIZE Healthspan competition aims to encourage more efforts to assess effects on health span and longevity, but the same problems apply here also. The prize organizers have chosen to ask competitors to assess before and after functional assays of immune function, cognitive capacity, and muscle mass and strength, and this may or may not prove to be a good way forward. To pick one example, is mechanically removing severe, artery-narrowing atherosclerotic plaque actually rejuvenation? If only a few accessible plaques were limiting overall blood flow, then removing them will likely improve cognition, cardiovascular function, and muscle function just by restoring blood flow to these tissues. But I think it is hard to argue that we learned anything by doing this, or advanced the field meaningfully.
As today's article notes, there are a lot of teams entered into the contest. We can certainly debate how many of those are actually working on ways to treat aging, depending on one's definition of the term. Nonetheless, it is good to see enthusiasm and activity channeled into a path that will likely help to raise the profile of the industry and research community focused on aging; research prizes are a proven way to generate more support for a field. That said, at the end of the day the assays chosen for success in the prize competition are like aging clocks in that they still have to be validated against life span and health span the old-fashioned way, and separately for every type of therapy one wants to measure. There is all too little certainty in short-term measures of aging at the present time.
The race to improve how long we live well has entered a new phase. XPRIZE Healthspan, the seven-year, $101 million global competition announced in late 2023, has unveiled its first cohort of semifinalists - 100 teams from 58 countries tasked with developing therapies to extend the years we spend in good health. The prize sets a clear goal: to restore muscular, cognitive, and immune function by a minimum of ten years in adults aged 50 to 80, within a 12-month timeframe. It's a challenging mandate, yet one that neatly reflects the evolving ethos of longevity science - less about aspirational immortality, more about physiological capacity and quality of life.
From over 600 registrants, the XPRIZE judging panel has selected a strikingly diverse range of interventions. BioAge Labs is focusing on inflammation and metabolic dysfunction via NLRP3 inhibition; Longeveron Inc is trialing a mesenchymal stem cell therapy for age-related frailty; Timeline continues to develop its Urolithin A-based mitophagy activator. Other teams, such as NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity and Cyclarity Therapeutics, are deploying multi-modal or precision geroscience strategies, while firms like Rejuvenate Bio are turning to gene therapy and AI-guided systems biology.
XPRIZE Healthspan Qualified Teams Book 2025
The Semifinalists in the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan competition have shown exceptional promise in developing therapies aimed at restoring muscle strength, cognitive abilities, and immune function in individuals aged 50-80. In our recently released Qualified Team Lookbook, you can explore the innovations of the Top 100 Qualified Teams. These teams are not just advancing science - they're building a future of health and opportunity for all. And remember, it's not too late to enter the competition with your idea!
View the full article at FightAging
