GI Innovation, GI Biome advance to the semi-finals of the XPRIZE Healthspan with anti-aging combination therapy
GI Innovation, a Korean biotech company, and its affiliate GI Biome said they have been named semifinalists in the XPRIZE Healthspan competition. Hosted by the U.S.-based XPRIZE Foundation, the global contest aims to identify groundbreaking therapeutic strategies to delay or prevent age-related diseases.
Out of over 600 teams from 58 countries, the joint GI Innovation–GI Biome team was selected among the top 100 semifinalists and further recognized as one of the top 40 “Milestone 1 Winners.”
This distinction includes a $250,000 prize and the opportunity to pitch before high-profile institutional investors managing multibillion-dollar funds.
The XPRIZE Foundation, founded in 1994 by Peter H. Diamandis, is known for running large-scale innovation competitions addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. Previous contests have spanned fields such as private spaceflight, artificial intelligence, climate solutions, and healthcare. Its recent carbon removal challenge was notably supported by Elon Musk’s Musk Foundation.
With total prize money reaching approximately 140 billion won ($98.3 million), the competition is the largest of its kind dedicated to anti-aging and longevity research. Only 10 teams will ultimately advance to the final round.
GI Innovation and GI Biome’s entry focuses on a combination therapy using GI Innovation’s immunotherapy candidate GI-102 and GI Biome’s microbiome-based synbiotic product GIB-7. The strategy aims to delay aging by harnessing immune modulation and gut microbiota intervention.
GI-102 is known for its dual mechanism -- inducing anticancer activity at high doses by activating CD8+ T cells and NK cells, and selectively expanding NK cells at low doses. NK cells are instrumental in clearing senescent cells, which accumulate with age and contribute to age-related decline. The company is now exploring GI-102 as an “NK cell enhancer” at lower doses for anti-aging purposes.
GIB-7 is a synbiotic formula that combines three patented probiotic strains with herbal ingredients, developed through GI Biome’s proprietary microbiome and herbal therapy platform. It has completed a human application study at Seoul National University Hospital and demonstrated promising outcomes in preclinical aged mouse models, including improved gut microbiota composition, circadian rhythm regulation, and enhanced muscle strength.
“We entered this competition with the ambition to win, and passing the first major hurdle is an honor that validates the scientific innovation behind GI Innovation and GI Biome,” GI Innovation CEO Jang Myoung-ho said. “Upcoming clinical trials will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Katherine Samaras of Australia’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a leading authority in longevity research.”
The company is also in talks to incorporate PG-102, a cognitive function-enhancing agent developed by Progen, into its broader healthspan platform.
“This competition allows us to move beyond treatment and into prevention, bringing us closer to realizing our global vision,” Jang said.