The Next Frontier in Longevity: Highlights from the Hevolution Summit 2025
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More than 3,000 people gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh for a two-day deep dive into the future of healthy longevity. To the surprise of the organizers, the overwhelming interest reinforced what many of us in the field already see—longevity is no longer a niche topic but a growing global movement.
Or, as Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution, put it, this was not just a longevity conference but a true healthspan summit—an idea that continues to gain momentum as the field moves beyond lifespan extension to focus on quality of life.
The Growing Role of Saudi Arabia in Longevity Science
Hevolution is steadily positioning itself as a global driver of longevity research. The foundation has begun supporting projects worldwide, though the focus remains largely on U.S.-based research. European researchers may need to strengthen collaborations if they wish to gain greater participation.
With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare plan, the country is actively integrating longevity into its future policies. If investment levels continue at this pace, Saudi Arabia could become one of the first jurisdictions to explore regulatory pathways where therapies are approved based on biomarker-driven evidence rather than traditional disease treatment models.
Notable Scientific & Investment Trends
Several companies presented breakthroughs in longevity therapeutics, offering a glimpse into what’s ahead:
Life Biosciences – Advancing partial cellular reprogramming technology based on Yamanaka factors.
Vandria – Focused on mitochondrial rejuvenation, addressing energy decline in aging cells.
Rubedo Life Sciences – Developing a senolytic therapy for psoriasis, signaling broader applications in aging-related conditions.
Although there are now over 1,000 preclinical longevity agents in development, most companies still need to tie their therapies to an existing age-related disease to secure regulatory approval. The question remains: Will Saudi Arabia lead the way in approving therapies based purely on their impact on biomarkers of aging?
Longevity Investment: Still an Untapped Opportunity?
Despite the field’s progress, longevity investment still faces barriers. A handful of investors, including Juvenescence, TVM, and AgeX, were present, but compared to the broader biotech industry, funding for longevity remains relatively low.
However, with the continued rise of longevity research and over a thousand candidates moving through preclinical stages, this dynamic may shift significantly in the next five years. A major regulatory milestone—such as the approval of a therapy based on biomarkers rather than disease treatment—could change the investment landscape overnight.
Challenges & the Road Ahead
Discussions at the summit surfaced several key challenges, with regulatory approval and reimbursement topping the list. One speaker even went as far as to say, “payers are evil”—a sentiment that reflects the industry’s struggle to align innovation with economic incentives.
Additionally, the fragmented world of longevity clinics remains a concern. How and when will they begin to converge around common biomarkers and approved best practices? Standardization efforts, such as those discussed in my recent interview with Martin O’Dea, may be crucial to accelerating credibility and adoption in this space.
A Global Movement: The Future of Healthspan Innovation
The Hevolution Summit underscored the growing international interest in longevity, with upcoming conferences scheduled in Singapore, Miami, Madrid, Lisbon, Berlin, Dublin, and Copenhagen. As Mehmood Khan described it, this is all part of the Global Healthspan Ecosystem, dedicated to reclaiming good health over the 30 years between ages 65 and 95.
With science moving from promise to application, the future of longevity innovation looks increasingly realistic. The only remaining question: Who will lead the charge in bringing these therapies to market?
