$101 Million Longevity Research Prize

It’s one thing to live a long life; it’s another to extend the years we live with good health. That’s the objective driving a longevity research competition with an eight-figure prize.

“This competition isn’t just accelerating progress, it’s shattering the limits of what’s possible when it comes to aging,” said Jamie Justice, the executive director of XPRIZE Healthspan.

The aim of the seven-year XPrize Healthspan is to develop a way for humans to dramatically rejuvenate muscles, cognition and immune functions, the three systems crucial to healthy ageing, reports The Guardian. ​Indeed, the prize winner has clear objectives to meet: Develop a therapy that restores muscular, cognitive, and immune function by a minimum of 10 years in adults between the ages of 50 to 80. The winning idea must also be accessible to as many people as possible and scalable within a year. The entrant who can do all of the above better than the rest will walk away with $81 million in funding for a one-year clinical trial.

Two $10 million awards will be divided among other finalists. The teams in contention have time to hone their products as the winner will be crowned until 2030.

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This adds to the new wave of longevity research that seeks to improve what it means to grow old. Because despite the global life expectancy more than doubling over the past 100 years, the quality of our health as we age has seemingly plateaued.

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“The next breakthrough in aging could come from scientists and entrepreneurs, anywhere,” said Peter Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE. “With this prize, we’re igniting a global healthspan revolution, and these semifinalists are leading the charge.”

The competition unveiled its first cohort of semifinalists this week.