Wellcome Leap unveils $55M program to study women’s heart disease

Wellcome Leap has launched a $55 million research initiative jointly funded by Melinda Gates’ Pivotal aimed at transforming how coronary microvascular disease is diagnosed and treated with women. The San Diego-based global health nonprofit notes that the program, called VISIBLE, seeks to increase accurate diagnosis and effective treatment from less than 1% of cases to more than 80% by developing early diagnostic tools and identifying major risk factors. Wellcome Leap says it is focusing on women’s health because “the menopausal transition represents a major inflection point in vascular biology,” adding that declining estrogen levels have been linked to several cardiovascular issues.