NYSCF Hosts LaunchBio’s “Invest in Cures”
NewsCuring disease takes more than just research– it requires well-planned investment and business strategies that allow science to get done and treatments to move out of the lab and into the clinic. This month, NYSCF headquarters hosted Invest in Cures, an event organized by LaunchBio and BioLabs@NYULangone aimed at showcasing the different funding and business strategies of nonprofit disease foundations. LaunchBio is a nonprofit organization that identifies, counsels, and supports high-growth, high-impact life science and biotechnology companies. BioLabs@NYULangone provides a unique biotech co-working facility in Manhattan to attract the best companies in early-stage life sciences.
the Milken Institute, Ben Yerxa of Foundation Fighting Blindness, Michele Cleary of The Mark Foundation, and Bob Crutchfield of BrightEdge Ventures –American Cancer Society participate in a panel discussion.
The event highlighted the investment philosophies and fund and deal structures of different nonprofits. It also showcased how these organizations use deep scientific knowledge to validate early-stage technologies and syndicate with other investors.
NYSCF Chief Business Officer Elizabeth Schwarzbach, PhD, shared NYSCF’s model of investing in high-risk, high-reward projects and highlighted the importance of supporting early-career scientists. Early-career scientists often harbor ideas for how to approach disease research from a new angle and address pressing questions. Providing these investigators with the resources they need to pursue innovative work is a key element of NYSCF’s approach. She also spoke about the promise of regenerative medicine and how NYSCF is investing in the creation of foundational tools (such as the NYSCF Global Stem Cell ArrayTM) that help accelerate treatments and cures for the major diseases of our time.
Dr. Schwarzbach was joined by leaders from nine disease foundations: The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, BrightEdge Ventures –American Cancer Society, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Dementia Discovery Fund, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, and CHDI Foundation.
NYSCF is committed to bringing together thought leaders to discuss how we can best advance translational research, and Invest in Cures was an important step toward achieving this goal.