The Dementia Discovery Fund this week welcomed more than 100 key stakeholders to its Annual Forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding the development of high-impact therapeutics for age-related dementias.
London, 10 October 2019 - The Dementia Discovery Fund (“DDF” or “the Fund”) this week welcomed more than 100 key stakeholders to its Annual Forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding the development of high-impact therapeutics for age-related dementias.
Established in 2015, DDF is the world’s only global venture capital fund dedicated to delivering both high-impact therapeutics for age-related dementias and financial returns by investing in, creating, and supporting innovative companies.
The Annual Forum, now in its second year and attended by representatives from innovative research companies, academia and the investment community, welcomed presentations from emerging companies who are supported by DDF investment and who are pursuing the development of highly promising and differentiated novel therapeutics and platforms in dementia. There are now 4 products in clinical testing from two of the companies.
Panel sessions also explored wider themes impacting the discovery and development of novel therapeutics including the design and funding of clinical trials and the use of behavioural phenotyping to determine progression and outcomes in dementia patients. The Forum also heard personal perspectives from a Champion for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Angus Grant, CEO of the Dementia Discovery Fund, said: “The insights and perspectives gained from this year’s Forum are vital as we continue to provide investment in, and support to, innovative companies pursuing cutting-edge therapeutic approaches to change the course of dementia. Hearing of the latest progress from world-leading clinicians and scientists, and of the human impact of dementia from those personally affected, only reaffirm the importance of this fund in accelerating new treatments to tackle what remains the one of the greatest global healthcare challenges of our time.
“The Dementia Discovery Fund has made significant progress this year strengthening and diversifying its portfolio of investments in novel dementia therapeutics. I am hopeful that as we continue our strategy of investing in cutting-edge therapeutic approaches, we can change the course of dementia.”
Since completing its fundraising in 2018, with £250 million ($350 million at the time of completion) raised from an influential group of strategic investors, the DDF has made significant progress building its portfolio of investments. To date, around £150m has been invested, committed and reserved by the Fund, with 17 companies and projects currently active in the portfolio.
For further information, please visit the DDF website at www.theddfund.com
Contacts:
Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott, David Daley, Melissa Gardiner
DDF@consilium-comms.com
+44 20 3709 5700
About the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF)
The DDF is a venture capital fund which invests in projects and companies to discover and develop novel, effective disease-modifying therapeutics for dementia. Seven leading pharmaceutical companies (Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Otsuka (Astex), Pfizer and Takeda), AARP, Aegon, Bill Gates, British Patient Capital, NFL Players Association, Quest Diagnostics, UnitedHealth Group, the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care and charity Alzheimer’s Research UK among others have invested in the DDF. Heads of Neuroscience represent many of these strategic investors on the DDF Scientific Advisory Board and work closely with SV’s dedicated team of neuroscientists and experts to identify and evaluate novel approaches for the treatment of dementia. SV won the bid to become Manager in a competitive selection process held in 2015. www.theddfund.com
About SV Health Investors
SV Health Investors, formerly named SV Life Sciences, is a healthcare and life sciences venture capital and growth equity firm. SV targets early-stage opportunities in biotechnology; early-stage and revenue-stage opportunities in medical devices; and growth equity investments for later-stage businesses in healthcare services and digital health. Over the past 25 years, SV has invested in more than 175 companies. The firm currently has over $2.9 billion in capital commitments raised across nine private venture capital funds and one publicly listed fund. SV Health Investors has offices in Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.svhealthinvestors.com.