Milestone capital
Staged, milestone-based funding for toxicology, manufacturing and clinical trials — structured to minimize dilution.
ToxicologyAPI & drug productClinical trials
For families & parent-founders
To every parent-founder —thank you.
We back families building biotechs for their children — with capital, expertise and hands-on operations — so you can focus on the cure.
What you get
Capital plus a full operating team.
Built around the realities of parent-founders: urgency, personal stakes, limited bandwidth.
Clinical & scientific acceleration
A rare-disease KOL advisory board, protocol and endpoint design, and day-to-day CRO and CDMO management.
Regulatory navigation
Orphan and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, IND/NDA preparation and FDA meeting strategy.
IP strategy
Portfolio audits, freedom-to-operate analysis and patent support.
Key milestone
Designation first: we help you secure RPDD (or ODD) before major funding.
Why it mattersHow it works
From first call to signed agreement.
Five clear steps. If your program qualifies for a PRV, sale terms are set out in the final agreement.
- 01
Intro call
Get to know each other and your program.
- 02
Diligence forms
Your science, team and needs.
- 03
Internal review
We evaluate; brief follow-up if needed.
- 04
Follow-up call
Scope and a non-binding term sheet.
- 05
Agreement signed
Our partnership begins.
FAQ
Questions families ask.
What is a FAMCO?
A family-founded company: a biotech started by parents of a child with a rare disease. FAMCOs are who we were built for.
Is 1000 Cures a venture fund?
No. We’re a purpose-built accelerator: milestone capital plus hands-on operational services.
What do you fund?
Milestones that advance a PRV-eligible asset towards FDA approval — toxicology, API and drug product manufacturing, and clinical trial preparation and execution.
What qualifies as a rare pediatric disease?
Per FDA guidance, it must meet two criteria. First, it is “a serious or life-threatening disease in which the serious or life-threatening manifestations primarily affect individuals aged from birth to 18 years.” Second, it is a rare disease or condition: it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S., or more than 200,000 with no reasonable expectation that U.S. sales will recover the cost of developing and making the drug available. FDA, Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Vouchers (draft guidance, July 2019) (PDF, opens in a new tab).
Why does designation come first?
We help you secure Rare Pediatric (or Orphan Drug) Designation before major funding. It also simplifies a future PRV request.
How are PRV proceeds handled?
Terms are set in the final agreement. In general, proceeds are shared between the family-founders and 1000 Cures.
For parent-founders
You are not alone.
Together, we turn parent-powered science into real cures.