$15 million raised by a coalition of donors to advance diagnostics and clinical trials for Long COVID; with the infrastructure expanding into chronic Lyme disease

BOSTON, MA — September 24, 2026 — PolyBio Research Foundation has raised $15 million for its Long COVID Cure Initiative (LCCI), the organization announced at a September 15 gathering co-hosted by Steve and Judy Pagliuca and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey at The ’Quin House in Boston. The initiative is also expanding its work to bring treatments to patients with chronic Lyme disease.

Drs. Peluso and Henrich discuss Long COVID during the evening’s fireside chat. Photo credit: Josh Qualls, Director of Photography, Office of Governor Healey.

The gathering brought together philanthropists, scientists, patients, and biotechnology leaders to hear about key Long COVID research findings with the potential to inform new diagnostics and treatments, and PolyBio’s strategy for translating those discoveries into validated tests and clinical trials.

The donor coalition includes Todd Park (co-founder of Devoted Health and former U.S. Chief Technology Officer), Amy Geng, Steve and Judy Pagliuca, and other supporters. The $15 million total includes funds raised at the event.

The Initiative will support the development of a Long COVID clinical trials network designed to accelerate the evaluation of promising treatments and bring effective therapies to patients. The network will focus on mechanistic clinical trials that measure changes in underlying patient biology and investigate combination treatment strategies.

“Long COVID has touched our family personally, so we understand that behind every statistic is a person whose health, independence, or career has been completely disrupted,” said Steve Pagliuca at the event. “The urgent challenge now is turning scientific discoveries into tools and treatments that reach patients.”

“Congratulations to everyone—raising $15 million to accelerate the development of treatments for Long COVID is a remarkable achievement,” said Governor Healey. “I’m especially grateful to Steve and Judy Pagliuca for their leadership and generosity in helping move this critical work forward. To everyone living with Long COVID: we see you, we hear you, and we are committed to making sure you have the treatments and support you deserve.”

More than 18 million people in the United States are living with Long COVID. Patients can experience debilitating symptoms across multiple body systems, while Long COVID clinics remain overwhelmed and access to care can involve lengthy waits.

During the evening’s fireside chat, Drs. Timothy Henrich and Michael Peluso, physician-scientists formerly at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and now at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed biological drivers of Long COVID, including persistent viral material in tissues and ongoing immune activation. Jessica White shared her personal experience living with Long COVID.

PolyBio Research Director Dr. Amy Proal outlined PolyBio’s VIPER (Viral Immunopathogenesis and Persistence Repeat Donor Cohort) diagnostic program, which is working to validate promising tests for viral persistence and related immune changes.

The clinical research infrastructure developed through LCCI is also being expanded to include patients with chronic Lyme disease and other infection-associated chronic conditions.

About PolyBio Research Foundation

PolyBio Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization advancing research on how viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections drive chronic disease and aging. We build collaborative projects that identify, diagnose, and treat root causes of infection-associated chronic illness. Learn more at www.polybio.org.

*Please note that COVID protections were prominent at the event. Germicidal far-UVC lights loaned to PolyBio via the OSLUV project were installed across the event space. LEVOIT Smart Air HEPA filters were also placed throughout the entire room. All guests were asked to take a COVID rapid antigen test and confirm negative status before the event. COVID tests and N95 masks were also available at the door to the venue.

*Josh Qualls, Director of Photography, Office of Governor Healey took the photographs in the featured image of this News story.