11 New Members Join The Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge
Cameron Adams, the Australian billionaire cofounder of Canva, and his wife Lisa Miller, have just joined the Giving Pledge.
In its largest cohort since 2021, the Giving Pledge announced 11 new signatories in 2025 who have pledged to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes in their lifetime or in their wills. Nine of the new signees hail from the U.S., one from Australia and one from the U.A.E. Six of the new pledgers are members of Forbes billionaires' list and have a combined estimated net worth of $9.3 billion.
The wealthiest among them, Cameron Adams, worth an estimated $2.9 billion, is cofounder and chief product officer of graphic design software company Canva. He joins Canva's married cofounders, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, who signed the pledge in 2021; Adams joined the pledge with his wife Lisa Miller. The couple's Wedgetail Foundation is devoted to conserving and restoring biodiversity. The second wealthiest in the cohort, Drew Houston, worth an estimated $2.1 billion, is cofounder and CEO of file hosting service Dropbox; Houston joins with his wife, Erin. Additional signatories include Syntel founder Bharat Desai ($1.6B) and his cofounder and wife Neerja Sethi ($1B), who support economic mobility, education and entrepreneurship; Square (now called Block) cofounder Jim McKelvey ($1.6B) and his wife Anna; and founder and CEO of Cambridge, Massachusetts life sciences venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering Noubar Afeyan ($1.2B) and his wife Anna Afeyan Gunnarson.
Other newcomers include Emirati businesswoman Muna Easa Al Gurg; Joseph Deitch, the founder and chairman of investment adviser Commonwealth Financial Network; venture capitalist Jay Hoag and his wife Michaela, who founded Part the Cloud, which raises funds for Alzheimer's disease research.
The Giving Pledge was created in 2010 by billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in an effort to address the world's most urgent issues. Fifteen years ago the Giving Pledge launched with 40 American philanthropists. Since then, over 210 signatories have signed on, including some of the world's wealthiest people, such as Elon Musk, worth an estimated $430 billion and Mark Zuckerberg, worth an estimated $221 billion. And the pledge has attracted wealthy philanthropists from around the globe, from India to Indonesia and beyond.
The pledge is a promise, not a contract, and those who run the Giving Pledge do not audit billionaires' giving. Some signers, like Charles Feeney (d. 2023), cofounder of Duty Free Shoppers, gave away far more than half of his fortune to charitable causes. For many other pledgers, including some who have passed away, it's not clear whether or not they have held up their charitable promise.
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Basilea receives USD 39 million funding under BARDA agreement to continue to advance novel antifungals fosmanogepix and BAL2062
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Allschwil, Switzerland, July 08, 2025 Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, announced today that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, committed the next USD 39 million to Basilea to continue to advance the development of Basilea's novel antifungals fosmanogepix and BAL2062. This additional funding is based on the successful completion of a milestone within the 'Other Transaction Agreement' (OTA, agreement number 75A50124C00033) that was awarded on September 30, 2024, and which allows for potential funding of up to approximately USD 268 million in total to develop antifungal and antibacterial assets. David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea, said: 'We are very pleased to receive the continued funding under the OTA with BARDA to support the development of our antifungal drug candidates fosmanogepix and BAL2062. Both compounds offer a novel mechanism of action and represent new therapeutic options for patients with aspergillosis, candidiasis or other life-threatening fungal infections. These infections primarily affect patients with weakened immune systems, such as cancer or transplant patients. Infections with difficult-to-treat rare molds or with resistance to current therapies are increasing. Hence, there continues to be a high medical need for new innovative antifungals.' He added: 'This second tranche of funding within the BARDA OTA will support the ongoing phase 3 study with fosmanogepix in yeast infections and the second phase 3 study, in mold infections, which is expected to start soon. It also provides funding for the preparation for the start of the phase 2 study for our antifungal BAL2062.' The USD 39 million is in addition to the initial USD 29 million BARDA committed at the signing of the OTA in September 2024. BARDA's financial contribution is about 60% of the total costs of the supported projects over the term of the OTA, which could provide a total potential non-dilutive funding of up to approximately USD 268 million, over up to 12 years, if all additional options to extend the contract are exercised by BARDA, upon successful completion of pre-defined milestones, including clinical and regulatory activities. About fosmanogepix Fosmanogepix is a clinical-stage broad-spectrum antifungal. It has a novel mechanism of action and its active moiety has shown activity against common species of Candida and Aspergillus, including multi-drug-resistant strains, such as Candida auris and Candida glabrata, as well as rare difficult-to-treat molds including Fusarium spp., Scedosporium spp., and some fungi from the Mucorales order.1 Fosmanogepix intravenous and oral formulations have been evaluated in clinical phase 2 studies for the treatment of patients with Candidemia, including Candida auris infections, and invasive mold infections.1 A phase 3 study evaluating fosmanogepix in the treatment of adult patients with candidemia and/or invasive candidiasis is ongoing and the initiation of a second phase 3 study, in the treatment of adult patients with invasive mold infections, is expected soon.2 Fosmanogepix has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a number of indications, and is designated as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP). About BAL2062 BAL2062 is a first-in-class antifungal, derived from a natural product, and has demonstrated fungicidal activity against clinically important molds such as Aspergillus spp., including azole-resistant strains.3 Safety and tolerability have been demonstrated in a previously completed phase 1 study with single and multiple ascending intravenous (i.v.) doses.4 The drug candidate has Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP), Orphan Drug and Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for invasive aspergillosis. About invasive mold infections Invasive aspergillosis and invasive infections with rare molds (e.g., Fusarium spp., Scedosporium spp., and Mucorales fungi) are life-threatening infections that predominantly affect immunocompromised patients, including patients with hematologic malignancies (blood cancer), transplant patients, or patients with other immunodeficiency disorders. These infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality.5, 6 About invasive candidiasis Invasive candidiasis, including deep-seated tissue candidiasis and candidemia, is an increasingly important nosocomial infection, especially in patients hospitalized in intensive care units. Candida species are ranked as the fourth main cause of bloodstream infections in hospitals in the US.7 The prognosis of invasive candidiasis remains difficult, with a reported mortality rate for invasive candidiasis as high as 40%, even when patients receive antifungal therapy.8 About Basilea Basilea is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Switzerland. We are committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs to meet the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections. We have successfully launched two hospital brands, Cresemba for the treatment of invasive fungal infections and Zevtera for the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition, we have preclinical and clinical anti-infective assets in our portfolio. Basilea is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Please visit Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This project has been funded in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under OT number: 75A50124C00033. The contract and federal funding are not an endorsement of the study results, product, or company. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schröder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor RelationsBasilea Pharmaceutica International Ltd, Allschwil Hegenheimermattweg 167b4123 AllschwilSwitzerland Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@ This ad hoc announcement can be downloaded from References K. J. Shaw, A. S. Ibrahim. Fosmanogepix: A Review of the First-in-Class Broad Spectrum Agent for the Treatment of Invasive Fungal Infections. Journal of Fungi (Basel) 2020 (6), 239 FAST study (candidemia/invasive candidiasis): identifier NCT05421858; FORWARD study (invasive mold infections): identifier NCT06925321 K. J. Shaw. GR-2397: Review of the Novel Siderophore-like Antifungal Agent for the Treatment of Invasive Aspergillosis. Journal of Fungi (Basel) 2022 (8), 909 identifier NCT02956499: M. P. Mammen, D. Armas, F. H. Hughes et al. First-in-Human Phase 1 Study To Assess Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of a Novel Antifungal Drug, VL-2397, in Healthy Adults. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2019 (63), e00969-19 J. Cadena, G. R. Thompson 3rd, T. F. Patterson. Aspergillosis: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America 2021 (35), 415-434 M. Slavin, S. van Hal, T. C. Sorrell et al. Invasive infections due to filamentous fungi other than Aspergillus: epidemiology and determinants of mortality. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2015 (21), 490.e1-490.e10 Candidemia (Blood Infection) and Other Candida Infections. 2019 Factsheet by the American Thoracic Society: (Accessed: July 07, 2025) B. J. Kullberg, M. C. Arendrup. Invasive Candidiasis. The New England Journal of Medicine 2015 (373), 1445-1456 Attachment Press release (PDF)
