Retired NFL Players Call for Greater Participation in Alzheimer's Clinical Trials as Ambassadors at Educational Events, Memory Screenings in U.S., Canada

"Huddle Up for New Alzheimer's Treatments" Campaign Adds Joe Rose, Joey Harrington, Ron Pitts, Christian Fauria, Steve Tasker to Line-Up with Solomon Wilcots

NEW YORK, April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Retired NFL players are joining Emmy award-winning broadcaster Solomon Wilcots and physicians conducting Axovant Sciences' MINDSET study as part of an expanded line-up for "Huddle Up for New Alzheimer's Treatments," an educational campaign focused on the importance of participation in Alzheimer's clinical studies.

Following its kick-off in collaboration with the NFL Alumni – Northern California Chapter in February, the campaign moves to a series of educational seminars across the United States and Canada. Retired NFL players including Joe Rose, Solomon Wilcots, Joey Harrington, Ron Pitts, Christian Fauria and Steve Tasker will join leading Alzheimer's disease physicians to discuss Alzheimer's disease, the importance of clinical research participation, and the MINDSET study. The seminars will also offer free memory screenings.

"Huddle Up for New Alzheimer's Treatments was the talk of broadcast programs worldwide originating from Radio Row in San Francisco during Super Bowl week," Wilcots said. "Our Alzheimer's educational session and memory screening for former players and their family members was very well-attended, and I am excited to partner with our local market ambassadors on a series of events for the general public that will bring the campaign to a wider audience." 

The first six events will take place in April and May in Miami; Cincinnati; Portland, Ore.; Westlake Village, Calif. (outside of Los Angeles); Boston; and Toronto. Additional seminars and memory screenings will follow. Click on the links below for information about the events, which are geared toward the public, and to reserve seats. Space is limited, with advance reservations required at most events.

• Miami, April 20, with Joe Rose, a South Florida sports radio and television personality and former Dolphins tight end 
• Cincinnati, April 21, with Solomon Wilcots and other retired Bengals players, including several of Wilcots' teammates for a reunion of the Super Bowl XXIII team 
• Portland, Ore., May 4, with Joey Harrington, a former quarterback with the Lions, Dolphins, Falcons and Saints   
• Westlake Village, Calif., May 5, with Ron Pitts, a national TV sports broadcaster and former defensive back with the Bills and Packers
• Boston, May 25, with Christian Fauria, a sports broadcaster and former tight end with the Patriots, Seahawks, Redskins and Panthers
• Toronto, May 25, with Steve Tasker, a longtime broadcaster with CBS Sports and former wide receiver with the Oilers and Bills

"The message we want to share is if you or a loved one is experiencing problems related to memory loss or have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, join us at a Huddle Up event," Wilcots added. 

Originally from Los Angeles, Wilcots is a broadcaster with CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. Earlier in his career, he worked with ESPN and was a sports anchor and Bengals reporter for NewsChannel 5 in Cincinnati. He spent six seasons in the NFL as a defensive back with the Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. As a member of the Cincinnati team, he played in Super Bowl XXIII. 

Alzheimer's disease affects more than 5 million people in the U.S. alone and is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the country.

Sponsored by Axovant Sciences Ltd., MINDSET is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating an investigational new drug candidate for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease known as RVT-101. RVT-101 is being studied as an add-on therapy to donepezil, the most widely used Alzheimer's disease treatment today. MINDSET's objective is to confirm the results of a prior 684-patient study in which the combination of RVT-101 and donepezil was observed to provide statistically significant evidence of benefit to patients as compared to donepezil alone. RVT-101 has not been approved for any indication in any market. The MINDSET study could be the final step before RVT-101 is considered for approval by the FDA and regulatory bodies in other countries.  For more information on MINDSET, visit www.alzheimersglobalstudy.com.

Click here to watch the Huddle Up for New Alzheimer's Treatments campaign video.

SOURCE Axovant Sciences Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.axovant.com