Two generations of the Lauder family give $200 million to Alzheimer's drug research

Twenty-five years ago, when Leonard Lauder and his brother Ronald established a foundation with the hope of finding a pharmaceutical that would prevent, treat or possibly even cure Alzheimer's disease, they were advised to temper their expectations.

There was little consensus that the baffling disease was, as the folks in the lab coats say, "druggable."

But the brothers would not temper their expectations. For them, the fight against the disease that plagued their mother, Estée, was personal.

"Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t affect just one person, it impacts entire families," Lauder said. Now, in 2023, their Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) has made extraordinary progress. It's close. So close.

Read more: 'Hope is really here,' says Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation honoree Bonnie Lautenberg

Last week the ADDF announced a $200 million cross-generational gift from two generations of Lauders, intended to advance the next generation of drugs more quickly and move the most promising research forward.

The commitment from Leonard A. Lauder, Ronald S. Lauder, William Lauder, Gary Lauder, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer and Jane Lauder is the largest in the foundation's history.

"This family gift sets the stage for the next generation to tackle and ultimately end this devastating disease," Leonard Lauder said. "We are seeing important progress, and we feel confident that this gift will build on the current momentum to cure Alzheimer’s disease."

Ronald S. Lauder, co-chairman and co-founder of the ADDF, said that when he and his brother began the project, "there was little hope on the horizon for Alzheimer’s disease. We are proud of the undeniable impact the ADDF has made over the past two decades and we are more confident than ever for the future."

Mark Roithmayr, CEO of the foundation, praised the Lauders for their generosity.

"With this extraordinary gift, the Lauders will continue what they began 25 years ago, when they founded the ADDF in honor of their mother, Mrs. Estée Lauder," Roithmayr said. "This ... will change the way the world ages. This disease cannot be solved in a vacuum, and the Lauder family understands no one goes through Alzheimer’s alone."

Since the approval of several anti-amyloid therapies, new breakthroughs are emerging, the ADDF said in a release. These advances were made possible through new diagnostic tools such as the amyvid PET scan, making clinical trials more accurate and efficient, the organization said. The ADDF provided early funding for the scan.

"This is an incredibly exciting time for the field, and we would not be here without the vision and outstanding commitment and leadership of the Lauder family," said Dr. Howard Fillit, co-founder and chief science officer of the ADDF.

More than six million Americans and their families are currently living with Alzheimer’s.

Established in honor of Estée Lauder in 1998, the ADDF was founded on a venture philanthropy model, positioning it to address a critical gap in Alzheimer’s research through funding innovative and promising science while investing all returns directly back into the pipeline.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Two generations of the Lauder family give $200 million to Alzheimer's research