"At this pivotal moment in neurodegenerative disease research, the field needs diagnostics that can keep pace with the complexity of disease biology and address key co-pathologies," said Isobel Coleman, Chief Executive Officer of the ADDF. "This partnership shows how venture philanthropy can bring together mission-driven capital, rigorous science, and complementary expertise to take on high-impact challenges that no single organization can solve alone. By joining forces with MJFF, we will accelerate the next generation of biomarkers and strengthen the foundation for precision medicine across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and additional neurodegenerative diseases."
The partnership's focus is to advance the detection of co-pathologies, including alpha-synuclein, a protein that clumps in the brains of nearly all 6 million people worldwide who live with Parkinson's and an estimated 30-50% of those living with Alzheimer's. Scientists believe this accumulation harms cells and results in symptoms and progression of both diseases. Today, detecting these clumps through non-invasive methods is one of the foremost challenges in diagnosing disease and monitoring its progression.
Prior ADDF and MJFF investments have already helped advance this field, including through development of an assay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) allowing for early detection of alpha-synuclein pathology. The University of Texas team that developed the assay has since launched biotech Amprion, funded by the ADDF, which partnered with MJFF's landmark study, the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI).
The new partnership is designed to build on that progress by advancing more scalable and minimally invasive biomarker approaches for alpha-synuclein and beyond, consistent with the DxA's mission.
"Our goal is to define neurodegenerative diseases by their underlying biology and better understand how these pathologies occur across the disease spectrum," said Mark Frasier, PhD, Chief Scientist at The Michael J. Fox Foundation. "MJFF has a longstanding track record of enabling biomarker discovery in Parkinson's disease, and this partnership builds on that foundation. By bringing together Parkinson's and Alzheimer's researchers to share insights across diseases and disciplines, we can uncover common mechanisms and accelerate biomarker discovery in ways that simply weren't possible before. That work is helping us achieve this next frontier in research—enrolling the right participants in the right clinical trials and evaluating therapies in the people most likely to benefit."
The collaboration builds on the goals of the latest phase of the ADDF's DxA initiative, which is focused on advancing the next generation of diagnostics to support earlier detection, predict disease progression, improve clinical trials, and enable precision medicine. A central part of that work is developing biomarkers that reflect the full pathobiology of Alzheimer's disease, including tools that can identify co-pathologies. As new treatments move the field toward more personalized care, these diagnostics will be essential to understanding each person's underlying biology and matching future therapies to the right patients at the right time.
"The Diagnostics Accelerator was created to close exactly these kinds of gaps by identifying high-potential approaches, rigorously evaluating the science, and helping move the most promising tools toward validation," said Niranjan Bose, PhD, Managing Director, Health & Life Sciences at Gates Ventures. "Partnerships like this will build on the work the DxA has already done to transform the Alzheimer's diagnostics landscape by expanding the field's ability to detect the full complexity of Alzheimer's and related diseases, ultimately moving us closer to precision medicine across neurodegenerative diseases."
About The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer's, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF's leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer's PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current robust and diverse drug pipeline. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded nearly $400 million to fund 792 Alzheimer's drug development, biomarker, and prevention programs in 21 countries. To learn more, please visit: http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.
About The Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA)
The Diagnostics Accelerator, launched in July 2018, is a $150 million global research initiative founded by ADDF Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus Leonard A. Lauder and Bill Gates to develop novel biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The DxA is dedicated to accelerating the development of affordable and accessible biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and advance the clinical development of more targeted treatments. Through translational research awards and access to consulting support from industry experts, this program will challenge, assist and fund the research community in both academia and industry to develop novel peripheral and digital biomarkers.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors, and volunteers. In addition to funding $3 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, MJFF forges groundbreaking collaborations, creates robust open-access data sets and biosample libraries with its landmark clinical study (PPMI), increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool (Fox Trial Finder), promotes Parkinson's awareness, and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at www.michaeljfox.org, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
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