XPRIZE has announced the launch of a seven-year, $101 million global competition to drive healthier aging.

XPRIZE Healthspan, the largest XPRIZE to date, will offer $101 million in prize funding to a team that successfully develops a proactive, accessible therapeutic that restores muscle, cognition, and immune function by a minimum of 10 years—with a goal of 20 years—in individuals ages 65 to 80 in one year or less. In addition, a $10 million bonus prize will be awarded to a team that demonstrates the ability to restore lost muscular function due to Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) in one year or less.

According to XPRIZE, while global life expectancy has more than doubled in the last century, the quality of our health as we age has not increased at the same rate. In the United States, there is currently a 12-year gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, or the period of life free of major chronic disease or disability.

“People around the world are living longer, but quality of life has not kept pace. By targeting aging with a single or combination of therapeutic treatments, it may be possible to restore function lost to age-related degradation of multiple organ systems,” said XPRIZE founder and executive chairman Peter H. Diamandis. “Converging exponential technologies such as AI, epigenetics, gene therapy, cellular medicine, and sensors are allowing us to understand why we age—it’s time to revolutionize the way we age. Working across all sectors, we can democratize health and create a future where healthy aging is accessible for everyone and full of potential.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Lordn)