Finalists compete for the XPRIZE Healthspan $101 million prize. The University of Utah-based Utah Data Coordinating Center will determine whether the science delivers results
The XPRIZE Healthspan competition is betting big on research that could change the trajectory of healthy aging. The University of Utah will make sure the science backs up the ambition.
At the XPRIZE Healthspan awards ceremony held on Aug. 11 at the U campus, 20 finalist teams were chosen to move into the clinical phase of a seven-year, $101 million competition-the largest XPRIZE yet. The teams are developing therapies that could extend healthy human life by at least a decade. From 2026 to 2029, finalists will conduct rigorous clinical trials, lasting up to one year each, evaluating therapeutics designed to restore muscle, cognitive, and immune function in adults aged 50 to 90.
The U's Utah Data Coordinating Center (Utah DCC) has been selected to oversee trial and data management for the entire competition, including the independent analysis of core safety and efficacy data from the finalists' clinical trials. They will be partnering with University of California San Diego's Stein Institute for Research on Aging, selected by XPrize to serve as the central laboratory and biorepository for the competition.
Drawing on 25 years of experience in complex, multicenter research, the Utah DCC's 135 staff and 10 faculty bring expertise in biostatistics, epidemiology, medicine, data management, regulatory affairs, quality, project management, and IT.
"Our work doesn't begin when the first dataset arrives-it begins much further upstream," said Kevin Watt, MD, PhD, interim director of the Utah DCC. "We determine which data need to be captured, and we build the infrastructure to securely and accurately collect, store, and monitor these data."
The Utah DCC will work directly with the finalist teams and to bring together clinical, safety, biomarker and other core data to provide an independent view across the entire competition, applying the same standards to all teams to objectively determine who truly meets the mark.
"This is the kind of challenge our university and academic health system can help move forward: bringing together research, clinical expertise, and partnership to address complex health challenges, While this work might seem like something that happens quietly in the background, it could not be more essential."
When clinical trials take place across different sites and teams, Carter said, data must be collected consistently, methods must hold up, and researchers need confidence that the final comparisons are fair.
"We have the right people, the infrastructure and the experience to manage complexity at scale," said Amy Goodman, PhD, senior director of research and strategic partnerships at the Utah DCC. "For XPRIZE Healthspan, our team will manage the data to produce reports that will meet the demands of the XPRIZE judges and the world."
"I'm incredibly proud of how far our finalist teams have come and the bold science they are bringing into this next phase of the competition," said Jamie Justice, PhD, executive director of XPRIZE Healthspan. "As we move into clinical trials, I'm equally excited to have world-class university partners, like the University of Utah, working alongside us to bring the rigor, independence, and scientific credibility this competition demands. With 25 years of experience managing complex, multicenter research, the Utah DCC brings the expertise needed to ensure every team is evaluated consistently and against the same rigorous standards. Their partnership will be essential to generating credible evidence that can help us identify what truly works and move the entire field of healthy aging forward."
XPRIZE Healthspan aims to help people stay strong, independent, cognitively healthy, and connected well into their later years. As the finalists work towards that goal, the Utah DCC will make sure the science behind the results is rigorous and reliable.
Together, the teams represent a range of approaches targeting the biology of aging, including:
- Novel medicines and biologics designed to improve metabolism, reduce inflammation, protect neurons, and repair damaged cells.
- Regenerative approaches, including stem cell and gene-based therapies, that support cellular repair, energy production, and tissue health.
- Extracellular vesicles and other next-generation delivery technologies that harness the body's natural processes to promote rejuvenation.
- AI-enabled precision health and personalized care models that combine data, existing medicines, nutraceuticals, and lifestyle interventions to optimize healthy aging.
Learn more about the finalist teams at XPRIZE.
About Utah DCC
The Utah DCC is a full-service Academic Research Organization (ARO) at the University of Utah that operates a comprehensive Clinical and Data Coordinating Center. The DCC has extensive experience designing and coordinating complex multicenter clinical trials, observational studies, FDA-regulated trials, and registries. Providing end-to-end clinical research expertise, the team supports studies evaluating pharmaceuticals and biologics, medical devices, and medical and behavioral interventions across the lifespan.
About XPRIZE
XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at xprize.org.
