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The Dementia Discovery Fund is a specialist venture capital fund that invests in novel science to create meaningful new medicines for dementia whilst delivering an attractive return for the fund investors for 27 years. The fundraising far exceeded its initial target of $200 million making it the first and largest venture fund focused entirely on discovering and developing novel therapies for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. DDF has mechanisms in place to fund up to $1M for hypothesis testing with the aim of company spin-out on achievement of agreed milestones. For companies closer to the clinic, DDF will invest or co-invest larger amounts in order to progress through candidate selection and early clinical trials. The DDF makes early stage venture capital investments to develop novel disease-modifying therapeutics for all forms of dementia. The fund is managed by SV Health and was formed through the collaboration of leading pharmaceutical companies (Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Otsuka (Astex), Pfizer and Takeda), the UK Department of Health and Social Care and the charity Alzheimer's Research UK (ARUK). In addition to the $60 million investment from AARP and commitments from new investors UnitedHealth Group, Aegon, Quest Diagnostics, British Patient Capital and several others, the DDF has a broad and influential investor base, which includes Bill Gates, seven leading pharmaceutical companies, Woodford Investment Management via Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT), the NFL Players Association, the UK's Department of Health and Social Care and ARUK. Dementia affects more than 47 million people worldwide and at a cost to the global economy of over US $604 billion every year.
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