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15h ago

Melinda French Gates, Wellcome Leap Launch $100 Million Push to Close Women’s Health Research Gap

The DARPA-style effort is pitched as a catalyst to draw more public and private co-investors into underfunded women’s health R&D.

Global philanthropist Melinda French Gates attends the Discussion on Ending Child Marriage and Empowering Adolescent Girls at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town, South Africa November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Nic Bothma/File Photo
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Overview

  • Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap are committing $50 million each to a new $100 million fund to accelerate women’s health research.
  • The effort will concentrate on conditions that affect women differently or disproportionately, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and mental health.
  • Two priority programs will be selected by the end of 2026, with launches planned for 2026 and targeted outcomes in three to five years.
  • Organizers cite a persistent funding gap, noting that only about 1% of pharmaceutical research outside cancer went to women’s health in 2024.
  • With this partnership, Wellcome Leap’s women’s health commitments rise toward $250 million as it pursues $1 billion in philanthropic capital, complementing the Gates Foundation’s recent $2.5 billion pledge through 2030.