Reminders: In 2015 lotsa companies invested in gene therapy w/Bill Gates. From Forbes:
Editas Medicine, based in Cambridge, Mass., already had money. Founded in November 2013 with $43 million from Third Rock Ventures, Polaris Ventures and Flagship Ventures, it was the first big CRISPR effort out of the gate. The company says that money has not been spent. In May, Juno Therapeutics, which is developing cell therapies for cancer, inked a collaboration that gave Editas $25 million upfront and another $22 million in research support. Any products that result could deliver Editas another $250 million.
But those investments are dwarfed by today’s announcement, which will put $120 million into the tiny company’s bank account – enough, Editas says, to keep it running for a projected three years. The lead investor is a newly created firm called bng0, a select group of family offices led by Boris Nikolic, who was previously a science advisor to Bill Gates. Both Editas and Gates’ office confirm that the Microsoft billionaire, who is the world’s richest man, is among the bng0 backers.
(moar investors/companies @the link)
Fast forward three years (2018) and the University of Pennsylvania is working on a universal flu vaccine which would take care of pandemics:
Universal flu vaccines could circumvent the guesswork involved in making flu vaccines, as well as the need for an annual shot. A universal vaccine could fight all strains, including pandemic strains—for decades. This is a goal that Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine, has in sight.
…Then Bill Gates, who had taken a personal interest in Wilson’s work because of his long-standing desire to battle HIV, stepped in….
2018? Odd coincidence.
Gates: https://archive.vn/GBhJF
U of Penn: https://archive.vn/jVG5F
Reminder: Since 2014, University of Penn has rec'd $77.46 M from China in the form of gifts and contracts. The largest by far from "anonymous" in 2018 for $14.5 Million.
https://sites.ed.gov/foreigngifts/files/2020/10/Section-117_Public-Records-complete.xlsx (3 MB )