$101 Million XPRIZE Healthspan Awards First Milestone Winners in Global Healthy Aging Initiative

New York, NY – The XPRIZE Foundation, a global leader in incentive competitions, has announced the first milestone award winners in its ambitious $101 million XPRIZE Healthspan competition. This significant development marks a crucial step in the seven-year global challenge aimed at revolutionizing healthy aging and closing the gap between lifespan and healthspan. Over 600 teams from 58 countries initially entered the competition, showcasing a worldwide commitment to extending healthy human life.

The XPRIZE Healthspan seeks to incentivize the development of proactive, accessible therapeutic solutions designed to restore muscle, cognition, and immune function by a minimum of 10 years, with a goal of 20 years, in individuals aged 50-80. Currently, a 12-year disparity exists between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the U.S., highlighting the urgent need for advancements in this field. The competition, launched in November 2023, aims to tackle this critical health challenge.

Forty top Healthspan teams and eight teams for the $8 million FSHD Bonus Prize were selected as Milestone 1 awardees, each receiving $250,000 to advance their work. These teams were chosen based on their proposed therapeutic solutions, scientific rationale, and strength of their teams and clinical centers. The solutions span a diverse range, including biologic therapies, drugs, small molecules, lifestyle interventions, medical devices, and nutraceuticals.

Peter H. Diamandis, MD, founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE, emphasized the global impact of the initiative, stating, "The next breakthrough in aging could come from scientists and entrepreneurs, anywhere. With this prize, we're igniting a global healthspan revolution, and these semifinalists are leading the charge." He added that the competition is not just accelerating progress but also "challenging our society's beliefs in what's possible when it comes to aging."

All semifinalist teams are slated to begin early-stage clinical trials over the next year, with data submission expected in April 2026 for the subsequent judging round. The competition will culminate in 2030, when the grand prize winner is awarded up to $81 million for demonstrating significant improvements in healthy aging. The initiative is supported by co-title sponsors Hevolution Foundation and Chip Wilson, founder and chairman of SOLVE FSHD, alongside other key contributors and scientific advisors.