Muscular Dystrophy Association Launches New Venture Philanthropy

MVP's venture capital model addresses the well-known drug development challenge in which promising work on ideas for new drug therapies, development of which can take many years and cost more than $1 billion to bring to fruition, can run out of money and be abandoned. The funding problem is worsened when the drug or the therapy is being developed for a disease that affects a relatively small patient population base, with a relatively small return on investment. MVP overcomes these problems by joining the entrepreneurial spirit of donors with best business practices to drive a specific therapeutic development.

"As a venture philanthropy operating in a very distressed economy and a competitive philanthropy landscape, MVP will hold the companies we invest our donations in fully accountable through milestone-driven contracts," MVP Executive Director Sharon Hesterlee, Ph.D. said. "But we will also hold ourselves accountable to our donors through a structure that enables them to have an advisory role in MVP's investment evaluation process, and to see firsthand that MVP is meeting its goals as an organization."

About MDA: MDA is a voluntary health agency supporting programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, advocacy, and professional and public health education for muscular dystrophy and related diseases. MDA is the largest nongovernmental sponsor of neuromuscular disease research. The Association's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. Visit www.mda.org for more information.