Dementia Discovery Fund

The challenge posed by dementia is enormous As the average age of the population grows, dementia is one of the biggest global health threats we face, and the challenge is growing

Worldwide, around 50 million people are affected by dementia and every year there are nearly 10 million new cases According to the World Health Organization, the total number of people with dementia is projected to reach 82 million in 2030 and 152 million in 2050 These demographics include not only AD, but other dementias such as PDD, FTD, ALS and HD

Dementia is a cruel disease that robs people of their abilities, personality and dignity, creating a significant burden for families and society Contributing to this burden is the lack of effective treatments for people with dementia Finding ways to treat this condition is critical but has, so far, proven extremely difficult due to the complexity of the origin and manifestation As a result, there are currently no existing therapies that have a meaningful impact on the downward progression of dementia symptoms or the disease

However, the historic difficulty of developing treatments for dementia is not a reason to give up, but a reason to try harder Scientists are learning from adjacent fields, such as the recent advances in immuno-oncology, and innovative research is opening-up new opportunities beyond the well explored scientific hypotheses

The DDF Investment Strategy

The DDF combines a sole focus on dementia with the rigor of for-profit venture capital investing The dementia focus enables the fund to maintain its deep domain expertise in both innovative research and clinical development, apply learnings, and repeatedly engage the scientific and industrial community to refine its investment strategy over time The fund invests in opportunities expected to have both a major impact on the field and patient care, and to deliver financial returns for our limited partners

To differentiate its investments and meet its ambitious goals, the team is building a diverse portfolio of investments The DDF engages in proactive deal sourcing and creation, by interrogating key areas where the underlying science is mature enough to support drug discovery and, with concentrated investment, has the potential to enable new therapeutic strategies The team is constantly looking at new and emerging areas of research and development and is ready to invest

To meet this goal, the team at the DDF is always interested in hearing from everyone in the biosciences space who can help to identify the next big ideas in dementia drug discovery and welcomes submissions of non-confidential information Please e-mail ideas to the team at ddfprojects@svhealthinvestors com

• Tanya Finn Executive Assistant Dementia, Biotech UK

• Tim Harris Venture Partner Biotech, Dementia USA

• Lynne Hughes Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech UK

• Dirk Landgraf Vice President Dementia, Biotech USA

• Ruth McKernan Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech UK

• David Reynolds Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech UK

• James Summers Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech USA

• Barbara Tate Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech USA

• Joanna Wolak Venture Partner Dementia, Biotech UK The DDF’s Scientific Advisory Board provides unique access to experts from some of the world’s leading organizations

• Chas Bountra OBE - Independent University of Oxford & Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Dementia

• Michael Hutton Eli Lilly and Company Dementia

• Susan Kohlhaas Alzheimer's Research UK Dementia The DDF invests in the most promising healthcare ventures led by remarkable and inspired management teams

Members of the DDF team are actively involved in the development and/or growth of each portfolio company We serve as active board members, collaborating with management teams to minimize risk and maximize the value of the business

The DDF is supported by a broad and influential group of strategic investors

The DDF is the first venture capital fund on this scale supported by key stakeholders from industry, government, and advocacy with the combined aim of tackling a major global health issue

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