Duke is collaborating with Deerfield, an investment firm dedicated to advancing healthcare, to accelerate the translation of research in Duke faculty laboratories into clinical therapeutics. Four Points is a Deerfield company that will support Duke’s innovative translational research and leverage Deerfield’s expertise in accelerating state-of-the-art drug development. Four Points will fund projects with the aim of discovering novel therapeutics to cure life-altering diseases.
Through Four Points, Deerfield has committed up to $130 million in initial funding to support promising Duke translational research. This collaboration will provide operational support and may make additional capital investments into spin-off companies that emerge from Four Points projects that show commercial potential.
Four Points Innovation plans on conducting at least one RFP cycle per calendar year. Each cycle will include two stages, beginning with a brief Letter of Intent (LOI) application submission. Selected applicants will be invited to complete a more comprehensive Full Proposal application. The Joint Steering Committee aims to give quality feedback to all applicants regardless of selection status.
Deadline for LOI application submission: May 29, 2020