Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation invests in first-of-its-kind biomarker observatory led by renowned clinical trial expert to accelerate novel drug development

Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey CummingsThe Observatory will provide broader access to the biomarker pipeline and accelerate the development of novel drugs to be used in combination with drugs available on the market.

NEW YORK, 18 September 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) today announced a new investment to develop a first-of-its-kind biomarker observatory designed to provide a comprehensive view of the Alzheimer's biomarker pipeline, including blood tests, brain scans, digital devices and other tools that can help diagnose and monitor the disease. This effort will be led by a renowned clinical investigator. Jeffrey CummingsMD, ScD, Joy Chambers-Grundy Professor of Brain Science in the School of Integrated Health Sciences at University of Nevada, Las Vegas with Co-Lead Researcher Feixion ChengPhD, from the Laboratory of Network Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. This observatory will fill a critical gap by providing the first comprehensive overview of the biomarker pipeline and serving as an important resource to catalyze progress in drug development.

“Biomarkers are crucial to accelerate drug development and enable early and accurate diagnosis,” says Howard FillitMD, co-founder and chief science officer of ADDF. “Innovative initiatives like the Biomarker Observatory will accelerate the development of new biomarkers needed to support the incredibly robust and diverse drug pipeline, where nearly 75% of drugs in development are exploring new avenues. Building on our long-standing partnership with Dr. Cummings and his colleagues, this investment is an example of the critical role philanthropy plays in closing research gaps and accelerating efforts that advance new and effective medicines through regulatory approval.”

The Observatory is published regularly and complements Dr. Cummings' annual clinical trial report, which is considered the gold standard for developing new Alzheimer's drugs. A portal gives researchers access to the constantly evolving knowledge base.

“The Biomarker Observatory is the natural counterpart to the clinical trial report, and ADDF support will allow researchers to access a comprehensive archive of advances in Alzheimer's research,” notes Dr. Cummings. “With the drug pipeline currently predominantly addressing new aging pathways, the need for complementary biomarkers has never been greater, particularly as we look to develop the next phase of treatments.”

Biomarkers led to the approval of anti-amyloid drugs such as Leqembi and Kisunla by helping to identify participants in clinical trials and measure the drugs' target effect. This class of drugs has been shown to slow cognitive decline by about 30%, providing modest clinical benefit to patients. To achieve additional clinical benefit, these anti-amyloid therapies must be combined with novel drugs that target other aging processes. Similar to cancer and other diseases of aging, the accelerated development of combination therapies for Alzheimer's will only be possible with the necessary appropriate biomarkers.

This timely collaboration will expand ADDF's long-standing efforts to expand the biomarker and diagnostics landscape for Alzheimer's and follows recent advances in blood-based biomarkers that are on track to replace more invasive PET scans and lumbar punctures as the gold standard for diagnosing patients. In 2018, ADDF launched the Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) with leading philanthropists. Leonard A. Lauder, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mackenzie Scottand others to accelerate the development of accessible and scalable biomarkers and to advance the development of new biomarkers. To date, DxA has more than 60 million US dollars in 70 projects ranging from blood tests and retinal scans to digital tools. As a leader in Alzheimer's diagnostics, the observatory will help ADDF advance its mission to fight Alzheimer's through combination therapy and precision medicine, similar to cancer treatment.

“Alzheimer's is a complex disease that requires a multifaceted solution. With the Observatory and DxA, we are getting closer to the day when doctors can use a precision medicine approach to treat the right patients with the right medicine at the right time.”

About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. LauderThe Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is the only public charity focused exclusively on funding Alzheimer's drug development and applies a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF's leadership and contributions in the field have played a critical role in the development of the first Alzheimer's PET scan (Amyvid).^®) and blood test (PrecivityAD^®) to market and support the current robust and diverse drug pipeline. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has funded more than 290 million US dollars to fund over 750 Alzheimer's drug research programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 20 countries. For more information, visit:

Source: Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation