A US company plans to offer an unapproved gene therapy designed to boost levels of an anti-ageing protein called klotho. The treatment will be provided at clinics in Honduras, the Bahamas and Panama. It aims to bypass US regulatory requirements.
Minicircle, based in Austin, Texas, developed the injectable therapy that uses minicircle DNA to instruct abdominal fat cells to produce klotho. The company opened a waitlist and expects to make the treatment available within the next six months at partner clinics in Próspera, Honduras, Panama City and Paradise Island, Bahamas.
The firm conducted a proof-of-concept trial involving around 24 people starting in October 2025. Results have not been published. Founder and CEO Mac Davis reported experiencing temporary dizziness and altered time perception after receiving the therapy himself.
Medical ethicists have raised concerns about the lack of rigorous clinical testing and potential risks. The company has offered a separate follistatin gene therapy at the same offshore sites since 2022, with reported costs of $25,000 for that treatment.
