VC Leading $100m Dementia Discovery Fund Reveals New Model

Oct 21 2015

• By Sukaina Virji

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A very early stage fund run by a venture capital firm purely for the discovery of disease-modifying drugs for the treatment of dementia – the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) – has been launched. Six pharma companies, the UK government and the charity Alzheimer's Research UK have raised $100m in total in the first closing. It will be run by SV Life Sciences (SVLS), a leading international life sciences VC firm. SVLS's Kate Bingham tells Scrip why she believes the DDF could provide the breakthrough needed to develop new drugs to treat dementia.

A very early stage fund run by a venture capital firm purely for the discovery of disease-modifying drugs for the treatment of dementia – the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) – has been launched. Six pharma companies, the UK government and the charity Alzheimer's Research UK have raised $100m in total in the first closing. It will be run by SV Life Sciences (SVLS), a leading international life sciences VC firm. SVLS's Kate Bingham tells Scrip why she believes the DDF could provide the breakthrough needed to develop new drugs to treat dementia.

Scrip: Who came up with the idea of the DDF?

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