UK and six pharmaceutical firms launch $100m dementia research fund

SV Life Sciences will manage the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), whose investors include the government’s Department of Health (DoH), Alzheimer’s Research UK, Biogen, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Pfizer and Takeda.

The DDF was established to deliver new drug approaches for dementia by 2025 to diagnose, intervene early and treat to modify the course and symptoms of the disease.

It will work collaboratively with universities, academic institutes, the regulatory agencies and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry globally for identifying and developing novel dementia research projects.

The DDF’s priorities are to explore and develop novel hypotheses in dementia research and to increase global interest and industry confidence in the value of dementia research.

The pharmaceutical firms will not have rights to license or purchase the treatments that are discovered and developed by the fund.

The companies representatives will be placed on a scientific advisory board to assist a team of neuroscientists.

SV Life Sciences managing partner Kate Bingham: "Developing new treatments for dementia is hugely important but also enormously challenging. Very few new therapies have become available in recent years and those on the market all address symptoms and have no effect on the underlying disease.

"By creating a new source of funding for innovative dementia research and working creatively with researchers, entrepreneurs, charities, industry and Government, we believe the DDF can make a significant difference to the identification and development of new treatment approaches."

Image: The DDF was established to deliver new drug approaches for dementia by 2025. Photo: courtesy of Toa55/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.