As global populations age and birth rates fall, the question is no longer simply how long we can live, but how long can we stay healthy. Extending both lifespan and healthspan is quickly becoming one of the defining scientific and economic challenges facing global healthcare today.

Over the last 150 years, life expectancy in the UK has doubled as a result of scientific innovations such as vaccines and modern therapeutics. These advances combatted infant mortality and preventable diseases which cut lives short, allowing more people to achieve their natural lifespan.

However, we are on the cusp of a new era, where a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving ageing may soon let us slow, halt, or even reverse the ageing process itself. At the same time, advances in treating geriatric and degenerative diseases will increase the quality of later years of life. Extension of lifespan and healthspan is the next horizon for life sciences, and soon the prospect of living well past 100 will no longer be science fiction. Indeed, the first person to reach 150 may already be among us.

HGF have worked alongside innovators at the cutting edge of longevity science since before the field had a name. Our attorneys combine deep expertise across biology, medicine and technology to protect innovations in:

• Treatment of ageing related disease.
• Regenerative medicine.
• Neurotech, Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons.
• AI and next-generation biomarkers.
• Precision therapy, epigenetics, and gene editing.
• Gerontic medical devices.
• Reproductive health.

We understand that translating discovery into impact requires more than invention; it requires a robust IP strategy. Working with startups, investors, universities, and global pharmaceutical companies, we help our clients protect and commercialise the breakthroughs shaping the future of human health and longevity.