Five Korean teams have advanced to the semifinals of a competition launched by the international nonprofit organization XPRIZE, which has set a prize of $101 million (about 140 billion won) for teams seeking solutions for lifespan extension and anti-aging.
On Dec. 12 (local time), the XPRIZE Foundation announced the 100 teams that advanced to the semifinals of the HealthSpan competition, which started in November 2023 and had over 600 teams from 58 countries participating.
XPRIZE HealthSpan has tasked participating teams with presenting ways to make muscles, cognitive abilities, and immune function 10 to 20 years younger for middle-aged people aged 50 to 80. It is a competition that focuses on extending healthy lifespan rather than just longevity.
Jamie Justice, executive director of the XPRIZE Foundation, noted, "While global life expectancy has doubled over the past 100 years, the quality of health after aging has stagnated. In the UK, women are expected to live an average of 22 years, and men 17 years, with reduced quality of life due to chronic diseases and disabilities."
XPRIZE HealthSpan has focused on finding solutions for healthy aging rather than treatments for specific diseases. Various methods are possible, from biological therapies to drug-based anti-aging, digital therapeutics aimed at healthy lifestyle changes, health supplements, or personalized strategies.
The XPRIZE Foundation stated, "Research shows that even extending the healthy lifespan of people over 60 by just one year could have a global economic value of $38 trillion," and added, "Extending healthy lifespan has far greater economic value than increasing life expectancy."
The XPRIZE Foundation has required participating teams to submit clinical trial results involving humans. This significant prize has been established to ensure that research on anti-aging does not remain just in laboratories but spreads into the actual industry and medical fields.
Five Korean research teams have made it to the semifinals. The most notable team is GI Innovation, a publicly listed biotechnology corporation. This company proposed a strategy to delay aging by combining the immune anticancer drug GI-102 with the microbiome complex drug GIB-7. When used at low doses, GI-102 has the effect of promoting NK (natural killer) cells to delay aging.
GI Innovation not only advanced to the semifinals but was also selected as a 'Milestone 1 Winner' among the top 40 teams out of 100, receiving a prize of $250,000 (3.5 billion won). A company representative said, "Not only did we receive the prize, but we also seized the opportunity to present our strategy in front of global investors managing significant funds."
The biotech startup Rono Pharmaceuticals proposed an anti-aging technology that rejuvenates cells through drug treatment and successfully advanced to the semifinals. Founded by researchers from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Rono Pharmaceuticals is studying ways to enhance the synergy of anti-aging by utilizing various compounds that address the causes of aging.
The life science enterprises bBHC and ExoNovaX are researching anti-aging technologies using stem cells. Stem cells are primitive cells that can grow into various cells or tissues in the human body. bBHC is developing a new type of pluripotent stem cell to research methods to prevent aging.
ExoNovaX is also developing therapeutic candidates using exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Exosomes are tiny vesicles that shuttle signals between cells and are known to promote cell regeneration.
A team called 'RPRGAON-Progeria' has also advanced to the semifinals. This team consists of researchers from the biotechnology corporation PRGS & Tech. They are seeking ways to treat rare diseases related to aging. This team is researching methods to treat Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a disease associated with premature aging. The company stated, "We are currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial for pediatric progeria at Boston Children's Hospital."
Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPRIZE Foundation, said, "Breakthroughs to stop aging can emerge anywhere," and added, "This competition is not only accelerating progress but also challenging society's perceptions of aging."