Biograph, a new whole-body MRI startup, launches with $7,500 membership fee

Entrepreneurs and wellness experts on Thursday launched a new whole-body MRI startup called Biograph, charging a $7,500 fee to help members stay healthy and extend their lifespan. 

The startup has already opened its first location in San Mateo, California, with another to follow in New York City. Biograph labels itself as the “world’s most advanced preventive health and diagnostics clinic,” collecting over 1,000 data points from 30-plus evaluations. 

Its “Core” membership includes a whole-body MRI to assess for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and liver disease, among other concerns. Individuals also can opt for a $15,000 “Black” membership that adds coronary CT angiography to assess the heart, along with AI vascular plaque characterization, at-home sleep apnea testing, and more.  

The company is co-founded by Peter Attia, MD, author of the New York Times bestseller “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity,” and entrepreneur John Hering. Biograph joins an increasingly crowded whole-body MRI market that includes startups Prenuvo and Ezra, along with radiology practice SimonMed Imaging.

“Recognizing the variability in quality among health tests, scans and assessments, I was drawn to Biograph’s mission,” Michael Doney, MD, MPH, MS, a former emergency physician hired as the company’s executive medical director, said in an announcement Feb. 27. “We are committed to providing the most in-depth analysis of a broad range of health factors, enabling members to not only extend their lifespan but, more importantly, to optimize their health span and overall quality of life.” 

Other assessments offered include a CT coronary calcium scan, DEXA body composition testing, and EKG. Since opening its first clinic, over 15% of members have discovered “urgent or life-altering health insights.” These have included cancer, cardiovascular concerns and neurodegenerative disease. The company eventually plans to “expand globally” after first opening its second location in Q1 2025.  

Doney, a researcher and “precision longevity clinician,” designed Biograph’s protocols. They assess members across five pillars—atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, brain health and neurodegenerative disease, cancer risk and early detection, and quality-of-life metrics. Services are deployed in a “thoughtfully curated, concierge setting” and executed by a “robust team of medical experts at the forefront of preventive care.” Biograph is by invitation only “to ensure a premium experience and bespoke care,” the company said. 

Some such as the American College of Radiology have criticized scanning healthy patients in search of disease. ACR issued a statement on the practice in 2023, noting there is no evidence total-body screening is cost-efficient nor effective at prolonging life. 

“In addition, the ACR is concerned that such procedures will lead to the identification of numerous nonspecific findings that will not ultimately improve patients' health but will result in unnecessary follow-up testing and procedures, as well as significant expense,” the college said at the time.