GI Innovation said Wednesday it and its affiliate GI Longevity have advanced to the finals of the XPRIZE Healthspan competition as their anti-aging therapy has been recognized for its potential therapeutic uses
XPRIZE Healthspan — a seven-year global competition with a total prize pool of $101 million — seeks to develop therapies capable of restoring muscle, cognitive and immune functions in adults aged 50 to 80 by at least 10 years, with a goal of achieving improvements equivalent to 20 years within one year or less. The competition is scheduled to finish in 2030
The Korean biotechnology company team was selected as one of the 20 finalist teams after being named among the Top 40 teams in May 2025. More than 600 teams from 58 countries entered the competition, with 100 teams advancing to the semifinal round. GI Innovation was one of 40 teams selected as Milestone 1 Award recipients in the previous stage and received a $250,000 prize to support clinical development.
GI Innovation’s strategy centers on using its investigational immuno-oncology drug GI-102 at an ultra-low dose to reverse immunosenescence, or the age-related decline in immune function. The company aims to increase both the number and activity of natural killer, or NK, cells, which play an important role in clearing senescent cells
The approach combines low-dose GI-102 with GIB-7, a probiotic developed by GI Longevity, aiming to improve gut health, muscle function and physical activity alongside immune function
The companies are currently conducting a Phase 2a clinical trial at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul as well as at the Southern Oncology Clinical Research Unit and Novatrials in Australia. According to GI Innovation, participants who have received treatment so far have shown a marked increase in activated NK cells while several participants have also demonstrated improvements in muscle strength and physical activity measures.
“The results are meaningful in that they suggest the possibility that restoring immune function could lead to improvements in physical activity,” said Lee Woo-yong, a doctor who led the Korean clinical studies at the Samsung Medical Center
“We hope the positive results currently being observed in the clinical trial will, through systematic validation, provide an opportunity to extend health span.”
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
