Longeveron® Named XPRIZE Healthspan Semifinalist and Top 40 Milestone 1 Award Recipient

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Longeveron
Longeveron

Wa'el Hashad

Wa'el Hashad, CEO, Longeveron
Wa'el Hashad, CEO, Longeveron
  • Longeveron selected as a Top 40 Semifinalist based on the feasibility of its stem cell therapy

  • Stem cell therapy laromestorcel being evaluated as potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and HLHS, a rare pediatric disease and orphan-designated indication

MIAMI, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Longeveron Inc. (NASDAQ: LGVN), a clinical stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for life-threatening and chronic aging-related conditions, today announced that it has been selected as a Semi-Finalist Team and one of the Top 40 Teams receiving a $250,000 Milestone 1 Award in the XPRIZE Healthspan competition.

“We’re proud to be a Semifinalist team of XPRIZE Healthspan, a 7-year, $101 million global competition that aims to revolutionize the way we approach human aging,” said Wa’el Hashad, Chief Executive Officer of Longeveron. “We look forward to the next chapter of the competition as we continue to develop our stem cell therapy that we believe has the potential to have a significant impact for patients and their families, and extend healthy life.”

Mr. Hashad commented further, “Our stem cell therapy laromestorcel has delivered several positive initial results across 5 clinical trials in 3 indications - Alzheimer’s Disease, Aging-related Frailty, and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare pediatric and orphan-designated disease. Based on positive initial data, laromestorcel development programs have received five U.S. FDA designations: for the HLHS program - Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, and Rare Pediatric Disease designation; and, for the Alzheimer’s Disease program - Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation and Fast Track designation.”

XPRIZE team applications were rigorously evaluated for scientific merit to identify the best, most feasible, and safe approaches to increase human healthspan. The top 100 Teams of more than 600 applicants across 58 countries are all considered Semifinalists, and presented a single or combination therapeutic approach that demonstrates feasibility and potential to restore or preserve muscular, cognitive, and immune function lost to age-related degradation by at least 10 years, with an ambitious goal of 20 years, and deliver their therapy in 1-year or less in adults aged 50-80 years who are free of major or life-threatening disease and disability. The Top 40 Milestone 1 Award-winning teams are each receiving $250,000 to help support them through the next phase of the competition. Semifinalists are eligible to compete in the Finals stage, with a potential milestone prize of $1 million. The grand prize will award between $61 million and $81 million to the winning team.