ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION

We regularly seek and promote requests for proposals from researchers around the world; evaluate the promise of these proposals with our team of neuroscientists and our independent, renowned Scientific Review Board; and invest in the research that our team has deemed the most promising.

We have a highly regarded science team led by Howard Fillit, MD, a leader in geriatric medicine, and a supporting staff of four PhD neuroscientists. Additionally, our Scientific Review Board provides outside, independent evaluation of the quality of the grant proposals we receive and make recommendations for funding. <br/><br/>In 2013, we invested more than $8 million in the drug discovery research recommended by this team.

We know that we are making progress when our investments are returned to us and reinvested in further drug discovery research, when our grantees receive follow-on funding for their research, and when our grantees' research makes it to the next stage of drug discovery and development.<br/><br/>From more than $15.7 million invested in biotechnology programs, $3.6 million has been returned to date and immediately reinvested in new drug research programs. Subsequent to the ADDF's initial funding, our grantees have received commitments of over $2 billion in follow-on funding from government, pharmaceutical companies and venture capital firms to further advance their drug research. And to date, 38 programs in which we have invested have made it to the clinical trial stage.

Though we do not yet have an FDA-approved, disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, we have made significant progress. In 2012, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amyvid™, the first diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF seed-funded the research for Amyvid™ from 2000–2004. Amyvid™ is improving and accelerating clinical trials for by ensuring that all patients enrolled have Alzheimer's disease. <br/><br/>Of the nearly 500 programs in which we've invested, 38 have advanced to the clinical trial stage and more than 20 of those are ongoing. Programs we have funded represent approximately 20% of all treatments currently in clinical trials for Alzheimer's (using October 2015 data from clinicaltrials.gov and Alzforum.org).