Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies, and Ronald S. Lauder, Chairman of Clinique Laboratories, established the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation with Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer Howard Fillit, MD, in 1998. The New York-based nonprofit focuses solely on accelerating drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, drawing its philanthropic capital from the family's cosmetics fortune. The ADDF funds research across the full therapeutic pipeline, from early-stage discovery through Phase 2 clinical trials. Its investment strategy covers small molecules, biologics, and biomarker diagnostics. Notable funded entities include programs advancing tau pathology therapies and the SpeechDx voice-analysis platform. Geographic reach spans North America, Europe, and Asia, with a co-investment model that has attracted capital from Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and MacKenzie Scott through the Diagnostics Accelerator initiative, which specifically backs novel diagnostic tools. The foundation runs the Therapeutics Funding Program and the ADDF-Harrington Scholar Program to source and validate academic and biotech research. The ADDF operates from its headquarters at 57 West 57th Street in New York. In 2026, the foundation appointed Isobel Coleman as Chief Executive Officer, marking a leadership transition for its next phase. The organization's young professionals committee and board networks, which include members of the Economic Club of New York and YPO, support fundraising and deal-sourcing outreach. The foundation also awards the Melvin R. Goodes Prize to recognize outstanding Alzheimer's researchers, with Randall J. Bateman, MD receiving the honor in 2026. The foundation's venture philanthropy structure is its core differentiator. Instead of awarding non-repayable grants, the ADDF makes mission-related investments with commercial return expectations, channeling any proceeds back into its research funding pool. This recycled-capital model means donor dollars amplify their impact over time, distancing the ADDF from pure-grant foundations and aligning it more closely with drug-development funding vehicles that demand milestone-driven accountability.