XPRIZE Healthspan Competition Selects 10 Teams for Aging Research Trials

XPRIZE Healthspan, a $101 million global competition, has selected 10 teams from an initial pool of 40 to develop treatments that restore muscle, cognition, and immune function in older adults. The teams must complete yearlong randomized controlled clinical trials before a winner is named in 2030.

Jamie Justice, executive director of XPRIZE Healthspan and adjunct assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University, described the program during a talk at the Vitalist Bay conference in Berkeley, California. She said the competition was created because the market for aging-related treatments lacks reliable methods to determine effectiveness.

Justice outlined several strategies under consideration by competing teams. These include structured exercise programs, senolytic drugs that target damaged cells, and personalized interventions based on individual biomarkers. She noted that the longevity field attracts participants with varied theories and emphasized the need for scientists to avoid acting as gatekeepers.

The program requires all finalists to run controlled clinical trials lasting one year. Results from these trials will determine the recipient of the grand prize in 2030. Justice said some commercial offerings in the longevity space are "purely scammy" and can damage the field's credibility.