"We spent twenty-five years building a drug development company," says Julie Matthews. "You learn very quickly which questions get funded and which ones do not."
"The ones that do not are rarely unimportant," adds Mike. "They are just difficult to make money from. A better way of managing a side effect. A test for a condition that affects a few thousand people. A leaflet that a worried parent can actually understand."
Having sold most of the company, the couple set up Duet to work on exactly those questions — using their own funds, their experience and a network of scientific and medical contacts built over a career.
"We are not trying to be a large charity," says Julie. "We are trying to be a useful one."