Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Howard Fillit, MD pens an article for the The Wall Street Journal ahead of today's #FDA Ad Comm on #donanemab, sharing the role the first class of anti-amyloids will play as the field works to develop novel drugs based on the biology of aging, eventually enabling the treatment of #Alzheimers with combination therapy. "It’s important to recognize, however, that treatment isn’t so simple. Alzheimer's is characterized by the presence of several misfolded proteins, as well as aging-related impairments, including metabolic disturbances and vascular dysfunction. Because of the disease’s complexity, a single drug targeting one pathway won’t suffice. That’s why I support developing drugs targeting the various aging pathways involved in the onset of the disease."

Momentum in #Alzheimer's diagnostics continues with a new study from JAMA showing the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's funded PrecivityAD #bloodtest from C2N Diagnostics was more accurate in diagnosing the disease than CT scans and cognitive testing. The study, which was presented at the Alzheimer's Association®conferce today, showed the blood test was 90% accurate in identifying whether patients with memory problems had Alzheimer's. Advances in #biomarkers are emblematic of the new era of Alzheimer's research where novel biomarkers, such as blood tests, offer accessible diagnostic tools to enable early detection and diagnosis as well as help accelerate clinical research. Only with an early and accurate way to diagnose the disease, can the field move closer to a #precisionmedicine approach where clinicians can personalize treatments based on each patients' individual biomarker profile. The C2N test is part of the ADDF's larger robust biomarker portfolio - led by the Diagnostics Accelerator - that encompasses blood tests, retinal scans and digital tools, which will eventually work in tandem to provide patients with simple and accurate diagnoses in real-time. #AAIC24

We’re proud of our very own Rachid Izzar for being named one of the newest members to its Board of Governors for The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.     Rachid, along with other key leaders, will work together to lend insights and continue to expand research and advancements to help the Alzheimer’s community.     Read more here: https://ow.ly/f17850SKmjt   #TeamBiogen | #AlzheimersDisease | #News

As studies continue to validate that #BloodTests can match up to the current gold standard #Alzheimers diagnostics—PET scans and spinal taps—the next hurdle is making these affordable tools more accessible to patients. ADDF-funded ALZpath Inc. is well on its way to bringing its pTau217 antibody closer to market, recently announcing a licensing agreement with Roche a few weeks back, and announcing a second agreement with Beckman Coulter Diagnostics just yesterday. Learn more about the new agreement that will make this blood test more widely available here: https://bit.ly/4cFNizF

Today, the #FDA approved monoclonal antibody Kisunla (#donanemab) for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment or early-stage #Alzheimers and confirmed #amyloid plaques in the brain. This marks the first approval of an #AntiAmyloid therapy with evidence to support stopping treatment once amyloid plaques are removed from the brain. Today's breakthrough, coupled with the emergence of the #BiologyOfAging as the leading approach for #DrugDevelopment, moves the field closer to treating the disease through what is regarded as the holy grail of care, #CombinationTherapy and #PrecisionMedicine, like within cancer care. “This approval is emblematic of the new era of Alzheimer's research where we now have the first class of disease-modifying drugs that will eventually be used in combination with #novel therapies—based on the biology of aging—that target all the underlying complexities of this disease,” notes Howard Fillit, MD, the ADDF's Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer. “This milestone will not only catalyze the next generation of therapies, but also reframe how we deliver treatments. It’s promising to see that some patients essentially enter #remission, where they achieve full amyloid clearance with no resurgence in substantial plaque buildup for several years to follow.” Read the ADDF's statement on the news here: https://bit.ly/3XMVU2E

Goodes Prize Honoree and DxA-funded researcher, Rhoda Au, PhD, MBA, and her colleagues at Boston University recently published a study on an AI model they developed that can predict if someone with mild cognitive impairment (#MCI) is likely to develop Alzheimer's in the next six years with 78.5% accuracy. The ADDF has long supported Dr. Au's pioneering efforts in developing the first #digital biomarkers for #Alzheimers. Digital biomarkers will be an important component of the future of Alzheimer’s care, helping monitor risk and supporting early-intervention and passive disease detection. Dr. Au’s co-authors also note they hope to develop an #AI-powered smartphone #app to diagnose the disease. Our #SpeechDx initiative, which intends to create the largest repository of #speech and #voice data, hopes to ultimately provide researchers with the high-quality data they need to develop accurate #DigitalTools like this that can accelerate the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s. Read more about the study here: https://bit.ly/4eC3gfH

Progress in the development of biomarkers and diagnostics continues to define the new era of Alzheimer’s research. This week, the Alzheimer's Association®’s released revised diagnostic criteria that recommend the use of blood tests, and centering diagnoses and staging around the disease biology for the first time. This news comes on the heels of ADDF-funded C2N Diagnostics announcing a new agreement with Mayo Clinic Laboratories to make the company’s #BloodTests more widely available. Leveraging a #BiologyOfAging approach to develop new drugs and #diagnostics will be integral to the next generation of care, and with accessible blood-based #biomarkers now at the forefront, the field is closer than ever to precision #Alzheimers care. To learn more about how these advancements bring us closer than ever to treating the disease with a #PrecisionMedicine approach, read our statement here: https://bit.ly/4eFJIXD Joel Braunstein, MD

Recently, ALZpath Inc., a diagnostics company funded by the ADDF’s Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA), announced a licensing agreement with Roche for their #pTau217 antibody. This deal will help develop and commercialize an accessible, and affordable Alzheimer’s diagnostic #BloodTest. “Several years ago, the DxA set out to seed the Alzheimer's diagnostics market by investing in risky but crucial #biomarker research, casting a wide net to catalyze exploratory research, and later helping to accelerate the validation of promising biomarkers, like pTau217,” says ADDF Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, Howard Fillit, MD. “PTau217 is now widely recognized as the leading blood-based diagnostic biomarker for #Alzheimers disease, and we are encouraged to see ALZpath secure this licensing deal, which will ultimately bring us closer to more accessible, FDA-approved blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease.” Learn more about the licensing agreement and the bold investment strategy of the DxA, $100 million initiative combining the vision of the ADDF and Gates Ventures here: https://bit.ly/3KTWlRo Niranjan Bose Kristina Malzbender

At #BIO2024, our CFO and Head of Mission-Related Investment Karen Bettauer Harris sat down with The Wall Street Journal's Brian Gormley to discuss the #biotech funding landscape that's in the process of recovering after several slow years. Many #VCs and investors are seeking out promising, high-quality science to invest in, and Karen notes that investments by the ADDF and DxA serve as a stamp of approval for biotechs seeking additional #funding due the ADDF's thorough scientific review standards. Read more here: https://on.wsj.com/4cfGfO5

Two studies published recently by ADDF-funded investigators in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy build out the growing body of evidence that #LifestyleInterventions will have a considerable impact on Alzheimer’s. The studies, published by Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD, and Dean Ornish, M.D., both suggest that lifestyle interventions like exercise and a healthy diet can be used to modify—and potentially halt—the progression of #Alzheimers. “Lifestyle interventions are a vital component of the future of Alzheimer’s care that will be administered alongside #novel therapeutics to stop the disease in its tracks,” notes Howard Fillit, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF. “Aging is the leading risk-factor for Alzheimer’s. Research shows implementing modifications, such as exercise and diet, likely slows the cascade of aging dysfunction and can help maintain #CognitiveReserve and reduce the risk of comorbidities like cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction.” Read our statement here: https://bit.ly/3xh9y3m