For Immediate Release
August
8, 2006
The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Supports National Brain Imaging Study
NEW YORK CITY, NY — The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) joins the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Foundation for NIH, and more than a dozen other federal agencies and private-sector companies and organizations in launching a nationwide research study called the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). It is the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, involving 58 clinical sites across the U.S. and Canada.
The goal of the initiative is to speed up the search for treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease by seeing whether imaging of the brain, through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET) scans, every 6 months can help predict and monitor the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. In addition, samples of blood and, for some participants, cerebral spinal fluid will be collected and tested to determine if these biomarkers can predict and monitor the disease. It is hoped that imaging techniques and biomarkers will prove useful in testing the effectiveness of new therapies in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s or preventing the disease altogether.
“The ADNI will create the future of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and the development and clinical monitoring of new treatments. It demonstrates the collective power of partnerships between industry, government, and non profits” said Howard Fillit, MD, Executive Director, ADDF.
Alzheimer’s disease affects one in 10 Americans over the age of 65. By the year 2050, 13 million Americans may suffer from the disease.
Researchers are looking for people between the ages of 55 and 90, who are in good general health with no memory problems, or are in good general health with some memory problems, or have a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease.
For more information about the study, please contact the NIA’s Alzheimer’s Disease Education & Referral (ADEAR) Center at 800-438-4380 or visit www.alzheimers.org/imagine. Spanish-language capabilities are available at some of the study sites.
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About the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is a public charity established in 2004 to expand upon the programs initiated by the Institute for the Study of Aging (ISOA), a private foundation founded by the Lauder family in 1998. Our mission is to accelerate drug discovery research for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) through venture philanthropy. To date, ADDF and ISOA have awarded $25 million for 155 research programs and conferences worldwide.
Contact: David DiVincenzo, Development
Associate
(212)901-8011/ddivincenzo@alzdiscovery.org