Our Portfolio

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) publishes all programs that we fund in our research portfolio. Funded research projects can be viewed by the year of funding or by program area, and can also be found by searching for an investigator or certain keywords. Please note that your search term(s) must contain at least four characters.

Additionally, please note that grant funding priorities at the ADDF change over time. The ADDF maintains strict confidentiality with all of our funded projects and cannot share additional information on projects without permission from the investigator(s).

The ADDF does not recommend one particular clinical trial or research program over another. The ADDF is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided, the selection of research subjects (patients) or the conduct of the clinical trial, treatment IND/expanded access program or other research program.

SEARCH GRANTS

Your grant search has return( 589 ) results

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- Year
- Grantee
- Organization
- Title
- Program Area
- Amount

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- 2018
- Paul Worley, MD
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- Resilience Biomarker NPTX2 and Alzheimer's Disease Progression
- Prevention, CSF
- $160,000
Duration: 07/15/2018 - 07/14/2019

Abstract:

Dr. Paul Worley and his team have identified a novel biomarker, termed NPTX2, that may be able to identify patients at risk for cognitive decline. This biomarker distinguishes human subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease from similarly aged people with normal cognition. NPTX2 is found in the synapses, or neural connections, of brain centers involved in memory. Through a previous ADDF-funded project, Dr. Worley's collaborator, Douglas Galasko developed an assay that can detect NPTX2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from spinal taps. They showed that MCI and Alzheimer's patients had lower NPTX2 levels in CSF than healthy subjects. In this project, Dr. Worley will test a larger cohort of MCI and Alzheimer's patients and assess NPTX2 levels in CSF samples from patients with other age-related types of dementia. These studies will validate the use of measuring NPTX2 in CSF as a diagnostic tool and biomarker of disease progression in Alzheimer's disease.

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- 2018
- Paula Grammas, PhD
- University of Rhode Island
- Vascular Activation: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease
- Clinical
- $1,294,881
Duration: 08/06/2018 - 08/06/2021

Abstract:

BEACON is the first clinical study to look into the possible role of the brain's blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease. Extensive research has shown that factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke, injure blood vessels in the brain. This can lead to inflammation that can cause damage or death of brain cells that occurs in Alzheimer's disease. The BEACON Study, based on 30 years of research by Dr. Grammas and her team, repurposes an existing FDA-approved drug, dabigatran, to suppress one part of this inflammation process. They were the first to identify an inflammatory cascade in which injury to the cells lining blood vessels in the brain (known as endothelial cells) "activates" them, causing the release of different molecules harmful or toxic to nerve cells. The one-year trial will test safety and tolerability in Alzheimer’s patients and will measure biomarkers that can provide information on if and how the treatment is affecting disease. If successful, this study could lead to phase 2 clinical trials of dabigatran in Alzheimer's. Results are expected in late 2020.

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- 2018
- Manfred Windisch, PhD
- NeuroKine Therapeutics
- Phase 1 Clinical Trial of a Novel Stress Kinase Inhibitor
- Clinical
- $860,500
Duration: 08/01/2018 - 08/01/2019

Abstract:

Neuroinflammation and the loss of connections between brain cells are hallmarks of most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. MW150, developed by the ADDF's 2016 Goode's Prize winner Dr. Martin Watterson, is a novel therapeutic that targets both of these pathologies. ADDF support of phase 1 studies will make MW150 the first drug in its class to be tested in humans. These first-in-human studies will allow the team at NeuroKine to assess the safety and tolerability of MW150 and gather information on where the drug accumulates in the body. The team will also perform some preliminary analyses on samples from the patients to assess if and how the drug is hitting its intended target. With the successful completion of these experiments, MW150 will be poised to move into larger phase 2 trials.

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- 2018
- Ronald Crystal, MD
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University
- Phase I Study of an AAVrh.10-Mediated Apolipoprotein E2 Gene Delivery to the CNS for the Treatment o
- Clinical
- $3,006,472
Duration: 02/01/2018 – 02/01/2021

Abstract:

Alzheimer's disease affects 5 million Americans and is increasing in prevalence and economic impact. Existing drugs do little to limit the disease process and no preventive therapies are known. It is known that inheritance of variant APOE4 conveys high risk for development of early-onset Alzheimer's, and that inheritance of APOE2 is protective. Based on our data that gene transfer of the APOE2 coding sequence to the CNS of murine models of Alzheimer's suppresses amyloid burden in the CNS and that we can get widespread expression of APOE2 in a safe manner in the much larger brain of a nonhuman primate, we propose a program with rapid translation to the clinic of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated CNS transfer of the human APOE2 coding sequence to prevent the development and/or progression of Alzheimer's disease. Our proposed program has been formulated with input received from the Food and Drug Administration following a pre-Investigational New Drug Application meeting that we had with them and the project progress meeting with the team at ADDF (April 21, 2017). This proposal has three primary objectives; (1) investigational new drug submission to the FDA and other regulatory bodies and gaining approvals needed to initiate a phase I clinical study; (2) production, purification, and characterization of AAVrh.10hAPOE2 for a phase 1 clinical study with the required lot release testing and stability studies; and (3) to carry out a Phase I clinical trial with n=15 subjects that are APOE4 homozygotes who have mild cognitive decline or early dementia, testing the safety and preliminary efficacy of intracisternal delivery of AAVrh.10hAPOE2 to the CNS. The proposal will be carried out at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) under the co-principal investigator leadership of Ronald Crystal, Chair, Department of Genetic Medicine and Gregory Petsko, Director, Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute.

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- 2018
- Miles Berger, MD, PhD
- Duke University Medical Center
- APOE Mimetic Drug CN-105 to Reduce Postoperative Delirium and Cognitive Dysfunction after Non-Cardia
- Clinical
- $1,631,197
Duration: 07/15/2018 - 07/15/2021

Abstract:

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and delirium occur in up to 40% of Americans over age 65 who undergo anesthesia and non-cardiac surgery each year. This is associated with decreased quality of life, increased mortality, and a possible increased dementia risk. These conditions may be caused by brain inflammation and exacerbated by pre-existing Alzheimer's disease. With prior ADDF funding, the investigators developed CN-105, a peptide that mimics the naturally occurring protein, APOE. CN-105 blocks brain damage from Alzheimer's disease and inflammation in preclinical tests. A phase 1 clinical trial showed the drug is safe in humans. With this round of ADDF funding, Dr. Berger will conduct a Phase 2 clinical trial to test whether CN-105 reduces POCD and delirium rates in older orthopedic surgery patients. The trial will also assess if CN-105 can reverse brain inflammation associated with POCD and delirium.

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- 2018
- Janice Kranz, PhD
- Eikonizo Therapeutics, Inc.
- De-Risking an HDAC6 Inhibitor for Neurodegenerative Tauopathies
- Clinical
- $841,062
Duration: 04/01/2018 - 03/31/2019

Abstract:

Tauopathies, which include Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal degeneration, are a class of neurodegenerative diseases caused by the abnormal accumulation of tau protein in the brain. HDAC6, an enzyme that is elevated in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, may play a central role in modifying several proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases, including tau. Eikonizo Therapeutics is developing a novel HDAC6 inhibitor that was previously shown to prevent tau accumulation in preclinical studies. The current ADDF funding will evaluate the highly selective HDAC6 inhibitor in humans. The team has successfully added a radiolabel to their drug that will allow them to visualize it in the brain through PET imaging. This pivotal study will establish HDAC6 as a therapeutic target in humans and de-risk the clinical development of their drug.

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- 2018
- Zachary Miller, MD
- UCSF Memory and Aging Center
- Therapeutic Regulation of Neuroinflammation in FTD Disorders
- Clinical
- $1,563,457
Duration: 06/01/2018 - 06/01/2020

Abstract:

Neuroinflammation, or inflammation in the brain, is one of the hallmarks of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, ALS, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Reducing neuroinflammation may beneficially impact this entire class of disorders. NP001 is an investigative proprietary form of sodium chlorite made by Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals. Preclinical data suggests that NP001 can reduce neuroinflammation. Dr. Miller will test multiple doses of NP001 in patients with FTD to determine the safety, optimal dose, and to assess biomarkers of inflammation. This pilot study may reveal the potential of immune modulators as therapeutics for FTD and open a new treatment paradigm for this neurodegenerative disorder. This project is funded through the Treat FTD Fund in partnership with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.

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- 2018
- Bruno Vellas, MD
- Gerontopole, CHU Toulouse
- Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Older Adults with Low DHA/EPA Index in Red Blood Cells
- $300,000
Duration: 04/01/2017 - 04/01/2022

Abstract:

Decades of research have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids, like DHA and EPA, may prevent cognitive decline. Levels of DHA, one of the brain's essential building blocks, are lower in brain regions associated with Alzheimer's disease. Large clinical trials have highlighted the role of omega-3 in preventing cognitive decline, particularly in patients with low levels of omega-3 in the blood. However, these trials ultimately yielded mixed results. ADDF is providing funding for a pivotal Phase 3 trial, where Dr. Vellas and his team will evaluate whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can prevent cognitive decline in older adults with low omega-3 blood levels. Omega-3 treatment may provide a cost-effective therapy that is well-tolerated and without any severe known side effects. If successful, simple blood tests could be used to guide the use of omega-3 fatty acids to prevent cognitive decline in high risk individuals.

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- 2018
- Thomas Kukar, PhD
- Emory University
- Rescue of Lysosomal Dysfunction, Neuroinflammation, and Neurodegeneration by GRN-2 in a model of Fro
- Drug Discovery
- $150,000
Duration: 05/01/2018 - 05/01/2020

Abstract:

Mutations in the progranulin gene are one of the most common causes of frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), a rare type of dementia that is fatal and currently untreatable. These mutations lead to increased inflammation in the brain and can result in cell death. Dr. Kukar is developing a strategy to replace the faulty protein in patients with progranulin gene mutations. Multiple labs have shown that progranulin is needed for normal lysosome function. Lysosomes contain enzymes that digest cellular materials. Without working lysosomes, proteins abnormally accumulate into toxic aggregates. Dr. Kukar found that delivering a small piece of progranulin, called GRN-2, can restore normal lysosome function in cells with progranulin mutations. This project will provide critical proof-of-concept preclinical data to develop this novel strategy as a potential treatment for FTD caused by progranulin mutations. This project is co-funded through the ADDF's Drug Discovery partnership with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.

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- 2018
- Dianne Perez, PhD
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation
- Optimization of Novel Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Alpha1A-Adrenergic Receptor
- Drug Discovery
- $381,340
Duration: 03/01/2018 - 08/31/2019

Abstract:

Dr. Perez was selected as the 2017 ADDF-Harrington Scholar. This partnership program with the Harrington Discovery Institute provides ADDF funding and industry-experienced know-how to help translate academic drug discovery projects to the clinic and towards a commercial path to new drug approval. Dr. Perez is developing a novel drug to improve memory function in Alzheimer’s patients by targeting a specific receptor, called alpha-1a adrenergic receptor, in the brain's memory center. One of the biggest hurdles in developing drugs targeting adrenergic receptors has been their reported side effects on blood pressure. However, Dr. Perez has designed a drug that can improve memory while circumventing the blood pressure issues. In this project, she will work closely with Harrington advisors to demonstrate that her drug is more potent than similar drugs that were discontinued due to blood pressure liabilities. Confirming that it can improve memory and reduce pathology in preclinical models without elevating blood pressure will be a key differentiator and will provide evidence to move forward into clinical trials.

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