High-profile investors led by billionaires Bill Gates and Leonard Lauder are throwing their weight behind a “venture philanthropy vehicle” offering more than $30 million in grants for new biomarkers and early diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.
In collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, the new Diagnostics Accelerator will aim to back promising research that may not guarantee an immediate commercial return—hoping to take more risks than a traditional VC fund, while also focusing on products being developed for market, over basic science research.
Image: The accelerator says a lack of validated biomarkers has stalled the development of treatments for the disease. (CC BY 2.0/Ben Fisher/GAVI Alliance)
