Why not make a profit?

A lot of people I've met have asked me why a non-profit corporation....  "Why not set up a for-profit operation?" they ask.

First, and foremost, we hope we can do something to help humanity, an intrinsic reward unto itself.  Much of modern medicine unfortunately concerns itself with profits first, patients second, hoping to find a "magic bullet" to patent.  Medical procedures, particularly a decades-old medical procedure, can't be patented or, in the U.S, enforced.  Nor should they, in my opinion, and I've run companies that developed 100's of commercial patents.  We have a unique opportunity in history to take a relatively low-risk approach and develop or refine a highly impactful anti-aging treatment therapy which could alter the course of mankind by preventatively mitigating age-associated disease  extending life and/or extending well lived life.  We plan to "open source" our findings, and like any open source initiative, we may spawn 100 or more for-profit entities which commercialize best practices and procedures that we develop.  Good luck to all of them, and all of the world.  Many good reasons exist to form for-profit companies, but making a profit may not always be one of them (more on this later).  But before that can happen, we need to better data on the beneficial effects and best practices associated with aging.

Second, even though we begin with a fairly benign, low-risk procedure and significant upside for human health in aging states, we have much to learn.  We can build from the experience and knowledge of the last several decades of immunology, and we have positive results with at least one age-associated condition, Alzheimer's disease, since 2009.  But within this experience, protocols, treatment frequencies, and other nuances can vary by individual, disease, and actual condition.  This treatment therapy works best to prevent negative outcomes; once a disease state has progressed to a highly degenerative condition, odds of improvement decline rapidly; hence, the Alzheimer's studies have focused on mild to moderate Alzheimer's, not severe cases.  

​Third, a nonprofit can purse objectives for the benefit of humanity without regard to investor interests and return expectations, other than the social benefit and humanitarian return of making a significant difference in the lives of many, possibly including those closest to you.  Everyone has friends and family who will ultimately suffer from age-associated conditions.  That said, donations to a non-profit organization provides a tax benefit, whereas payments to a for-profit organization come from savings after tax.  Simply put, a $10 donation to a non-profit could result in a $3 deduction where a $10 payment to a for-profit requires $13 in income to make a $10 after tax payment.  And while we depend on direct donations and grants, as a non-profit we can be more flexible and focused to plow all available resources into our product and humanitarian objectives, rather than worry about investor dividends, ultimately lowering cost of service well below what a for-profit operation could possibly achieve.   

Finally, we have a lot of folks volunteering, working pro bono, and/or deferring compensation who have intrinsic motivation that we're doing something good for friends, family, and the world.  Why not?