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The Wall Street Journal
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
In an exclusive interview, CEO Elliott Grahame reveals that his biotech startup plans to extend human lifespan by up to 25 years—and how 20,000 people will receive the treatment within the next 12 months
By David Porter
SAN FRANCISCO—The conference room on the top floor of HemaTech’s gleaming South San Francisco headquarters offers a panoramic view of the Bay Area’s biotech corridor, a fitting backdrop for what is almost certainly the most significant medical announcement of the 21st century. Elliott Grahame, the 38-year-old founder and CEO of HemaTech, sits across from me, looking remarkably composed for someone about to reveal that his company has cracked one of humanity’s oldest challenges: extending the human lifespan.
“We’re not talking about marginal improvements,” Grahame says, his voice carrying the careful precision of someone who understands the weight of his words. “We’re talking about adding 20 to 25 healthy, productive years to the average human life.”
It’s a claim that would sound like pure science fiction if it weren’t backed by years of rigorous research, a panoply of successful human and animal trials, and the backing of some of Europe’s most prestigious investment firms. HemaTech, which just six months ago withdrew from a highly anticipated IPO, has been operating in relative secrecy while perfecting what Grahame calls “the most significant advancement in human biology since the discovery of antibiotics.”
The Science of Longevity
The technology behind HemaTech’s breakthrough centers on what the company terms “Selective Cellular Regeneration Therapy” or SCRT. Without diving too deeply into the proprietary details, Grahame explains that the treatment involves a combination of modified mRNA sequences that reprogram certain cells to maintain their younger characteristics for extended periods of time.
“Think of it like this,” Grahame explains, leaning forward with the infectious enthusiasm that has characterized his career since his days at Stanford’s bioengineering program. “Every cell in your body has a built-in timer—telomeres that shorten with each division, accumulated damage from oxidative stress, genetic mutations that build up over time. Our therapy doesn’t just slow these processes; it reverses some of them and prevents others from occurring in the first place.”
The science builds on decades of longevity research, from the discovery of telomerase to recent breakthroughs in cellular reprogramming. But where others have achieved incremental success in laboratory settings, HemaTech claims to have developed a scalable, safe, and effective treatment suitable for human application.
Dr. Elodie Mitchell, a leading geneticist at Johns Hopkins who is not affiliated with HemaTech but has reviewed their published data, calls the achievement “paradigm-shifting.” She notes, “If their clinical data holds up under broader application, we’re looking at the biggest revolution in human health since the discovery of penicillin. The implications are staggering.”
A Grandiose Vision
As our interview concludes, I ask Grahame about HemaTech’s ultimate vision. Where does this all lead?
“In the immediate term, we’re focused on our 20,000-patient rollout and gathering the necessary data to support our campaign for broader regulatory approval,” he says. “Medium-term, we want to drive costs down and access up—our goal is to make this affordable and available to anyone who wants it within 30 years.”
“And long-term?” I press.
Grahame looks out at the Bay Area sprawl, seeming to see something beyond the immediate landscape. “Long-term, we’re talking about a fundamental redefinition of human existence. When death becomes a choice rather than an inevitability, everything changes—our relationships, our ambitions, our entire social structure. We’re not just extending life; we’re transforming what it means to be human.”
It’s a grandiose vision, but sitting in HemaTech’s offices, surrounded by the evidence of their achievement, it doesn’t seem impossible. The company has already done what many thought couldn’t be done—developed a practical, effective means of significantly extending human life. The question now isn’t whether life extension is possible, but how quickly it will reshape our world.
David Porter is a senior technology and business correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. He has covered the biotech industry for fifteen years. HemaTech expects to begin its expanded treatment program in January. For more information about their technology and treatment protocols, visit www.hematech.com.
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