Khosla-backed company aims to double number of longevity clinics offering TPE to consumers seeking health benefits.
Hot on the heels of a human trial that demonstrated its technology lowered biological age, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) provider Circulate Health has landed $12 million in seed funding, led by Khosla Ventures. The company’s patented TPE procedure removes, separates and replaces your plasma, with the goal of reducing inflammation and improving healthspan.
Circulate is building on decades of medical use of plasmapheresis for the treatment of blood disorders, autoimmune diseases and neurological conditions. In TPE, blood is drawn from the patient and circulated through a machine that separates the plasma from the blood cells. The plasma – containing various proteins, antibodies and potentially harmful age-related molecules – is removed and replaced with a substitute fluid, typically a mixture of saline and proteins like albumin. In some protocols, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is added to further modulate the immune system. The treated blood is then returned to the patient.
The rationale is that by removing plasma, TPE can eliminate pro-aging factors, inflammatory proteins and metabolic byproducts that accumulate with age and may drive biological aging. Animal studies have shown that exchanging old plasma for young plasma, or simply removing old plasma, can reverse some aging markers and improve physical function.
Operating in stealth mode for the past three years, Circulate has developed a proprietary method of administering TPE and is already providing its services at 24 longevity clinics across the US, where clients reportedly pay up to $10,000 for a session. The company indicates it plans to more than double the number of clinics offering its services by the end of the year, including locations outside the US.
“We have been immensely dedicated to our research and delivering the highest quality medical care to patients and clinic partners in order to further address healthspan, and the hallmarks of aging,” said Circulate CEO Dr Brad Younggren. “We plan to use these additional funds to expand our clinic network across the country and internationally, and provide greater access to those seeking access to a therapy shown to improve biomarkers and biological clocks.”
Circulate was co-founded by Younggren and Dr Eric Verdin, a leading geroscientist and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and includes the Buck’s Dr David Furman, who led the recently published clinical trial, as a scientific advisor. The company’s recent study was a landmark single-blind, human clinical trial conducted in partnership with the Buck that aimed to demonstrate measurable rejuvenation at the molecular and functional levels.
The trial found that TPE, especially when combined with IVIG, can reduce biological age as measured by a suite of multi-omics biomarkers, including changes in the epigenome, proteome, metabolome, glycome and immune system, as well as improvements in physical measures like balance and strength. The findings garnered significant attention, as most prior research on plasma exchange for antiaging had been limited to animal models or patients with existing age-related diseases, not healthy older adults.
While the study was undoubtedly intriguing and suggests TPE can alter blood composition and biological age markers, it does not yet prove that the procedure extends lifespan or improve long-term health outcomes in healthy people. The trial was also relatively small and short in duration, so larger, longer-term studies to confirm the safety and efficacy of the intervention for healthy aging will be needed before widespread adoption of the technology can be expected. In addition to bringing the cost down significantly, of course.
In addition to Khosla, the seed funding round included participation from Seaside Ventures and CSC Ventures.
“We incubated Circulate to explore whether a safe, well-understood therapy like TPE could counter the deleterious effects of aging, and offer broader health benefits like potentially removing microplastics from the body,” said Khosla’s Alex Morgan. “Early clinical results are promising, and we’re excited to continue backing the team as they work to make TPE more accessible to more people.”
