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( 596 ) results

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

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- 2019
- Kevin Hodgetts, PhD
- The Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- Novel Benzoxazines for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
- Drug Discovery, Inflammation
- 600,000
Duration: 03/01/2019 - 03/01/2021

Abstract:

This project will be funded as part of the ADDF's established, longstanding partnership with the Harrington Discovery Institute (HDI).
Dr. Hodgetts has been selected as the 2018 ADDF-Harrington Scholar. In addition to receiving ADDF funding, he will be supported by a team of drug development experts provided by the Harrington Discovery Institute. These experts have significant experience in commercial drug development and established networks that will help guide Dr. Hodgetts' program towards success.

Dr. Hodgetts has identified a drug that reduces inflammation and increases the synthesis of a protective neurosteroid in the brains of animal models of neurodegeneration. However, the drug needs to be further optimized to improve its therapeutic efficacy and stability in humans. Dr. Hodgetts will work closely with Harrington advisors to develop an improved analog that is suitable for further clinical development.

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- 2019
- Susan Catalano, PhD
- Cognition Therapeutics, Inc.
- SHINE (Study Synaptic Health and Improvement of Neurological Function with Elayta)
- Clinical
- $2,000,000
Duration: 02/21/2019 - 02/21/2022

Abstract:

The loss of synapses, which permit communication between nerve cells, is strongly correlated to cognitive decline. Growing evidence suggests that synaptic dysfunction is one of the primary drivers of Alzheimer's disease. Cognition Therapeutics has developed a candidate drug, Elayta, that works through a novel mechanism to stop the binding of toxic proteins that build up in the brain and damage synapses. Elayta was shown to be safe in phase 1 trials and is now being tested in phase 2 clinical studies in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, supported in part by an NIH grant.

A critical component of these trials is to measure the drug’s effects on levels of toxic proteins and markers of synaptic damage. ADDF funding will allow for the inclusion of these endpoints in the trials and answer important questions about how the drug is working in their target patient population. ADDF funding will also support the manufacturing of additional drug quantities that were not covered by NIH funding.

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- 2019
- Marwan Sabbagh, MD
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
- Repurposing Lenalidomide for Early Alzheimer's Treatment
- Inflammation, Clinical
- $1,396,475
Duration: 04/01/2019 - 04/01/2024

Abstract:

Inflammation is pervasive to many neurological disorders and is now thought to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Sabbagh and his team are interested in drugs that lower brain inflammation with the goal of preventing or slowing down progression to Alzheimer's disease. In their phase 1b/2a trial, they will study an anti-cancer drug, called lenalidomide, in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Lenalidomide significantly reduced inflammation and biomarkers, including amyloid plaques, in animal models. Because lenalidomide has never been tested in the context of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Sabbagh will monitor carefully the safety and tolerability in MCI patients, as well as whether the drug modulates inflammation using inflammatory markers in blood.

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- 2019
- Linda Van Eldik, PhD
- University of Kentucky Research Foundation
- Phase 2 Enabling Toxicology Studies of MW151, A Selective Small Molecule Suppressor of Neuroinflamma
- Inflammation, Clinical
- $1,434,160
Duration: 04/01/2019 - 04/01/2021

Abstract:

The brain's immune cells normally protect it from possible sources of danger like toxins or amyloid plaques by becoming activated and removing the sources. During activation, chemical signals called proinflammatory cytokines are released. However, with chronic inflammation, these cells overproduce these cytokines, which can damage nerve cells and lead to cognitive decline. Dr. Van Eldik has developed a novel, small molecule drug called MW 151 that selectively suppresses proinflammatory cytokine overproduction and rescues nerve cell damage and cognitive impairment in many different animal models. It is currently being tested in phase 1 safety trials. The current project will run in parallel with the ongoing phase 1 study and will test MW 151 in toxicology studies required by the FDA for longer-term dosing in a phase 2 study. ADDF funding will enable Dr. Van Eldik's team to move into phase 2 trials in patients after the phase 1 study is completed.

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- 2019
- Hussein Yassine, MD
- University of Southern California
- Effect of Early Supplementation with High Dose DHA on Cognitive Outcomes in APOE4 Carriers
- Prevention, ApoE
- $1,500,000
Duration: 03/01/2019 - 03/01/2023

Abstract:

DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid found in fish, is a supplement available at any vitamin or drug store. Dr. Yassine and his team will test if a high dose of DHA can prevent cognitive decline in individuals with APOE4, which is the greatest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Previous clinical trials suggest that DHA is not effective in APOE4 patients who were already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but may be effective in individuals before they show signs of the disease. Dr. Yassine will treat 160 participants, ages 60-80, with normal cognition but at least one cardiovascular-related dementia risk factor (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.) with 2 grams of DHA or placebo per day for two years to see if it improves memory. Half of the individuals will be APOE4 carriers. Dr. Yassine is currently funded by the NIH to treat 160 participants with DHA to see how much gets into the brain. ADDF funding will add an additional 160 to the ongoing study, bringing the total number to 320. This will allow Dr. Yassine and colleagues to see whether DHA preserves memory function and brain structure.

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- 2019
- Rosa Canet-Aviles, PhD
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- ADNI-3 (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative)
- Neuroimaging
- $75,000
Duration: 03/15/2019 - 03/15/2022

Abstract:

ADNI is conducted by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and is the NIH's largest public-private partnership on brain research to date, funded by two non-profits (including the ADDF), 20 companies, and the NIA. This landmark study is currently housed at 59 clinical sites in the United States and Canada. This study was designed to develop methods, acquire data, and form a collaborative network of clinical and imaging sites to facilitate the use and evaluation of neuroimaging and other biomarkers in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. ADNI-3, which builds on first and second study phases, seeks to identify the earliest changes in brain structure and function as people transition from normal cognitive aging to mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease. The current add-on funding will support the analysis of cerebral blood flow in brain measured by PET imaging in 100 study participants over two years.

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- 2019
- Joel Dudley, PhD
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Deep Learning to Unveil Neurological Disorder Patterns and Novel Therapeutics from the Electronic He
- Prevention
- $100,000
Duration: 02/01/2019 - 02/01/2020

Abstract:

Dr. Dudley and his team will use sophisticated computational methods to develop predictive models in order to identify currently FDA-approved medications that could be repurposed for Alzheimer’s. In this project, they will apply artificial intelligence methods to mine electronic health records of the Mount Sinai Health System, which contains massive amounts of clinical data on over 6 million patients with as long as 14 years of follow-up. In 12 months, this project will identify currently approved medications associated with a decreased risk for cognitive decline and dementia that should be studied in clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.

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- 2019
- Kejal Kantarci, MD, MS
- Mayo Clinic
- Effects of Early Menopausal Hormone Therapy on Imaging Biomarkers of Cognitive Health
- Prevention
- $66,094
Duration: 01/01/2019 - 01/01/2021

Abstract:

Many studies have reported that use of menopausal hormone therapy is associated with lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline. However, clinical findings have been mixed and suggest that neuroprotective benefit of hormone therapy may depend on many factors such as the timing of treatment and the type of hormone therapy. Dr. Kantarci will be performing a 12-year follow up of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), a nationwide clinical trial that tested two different menopausal hormone therapies in newly postmenopausal women. Dr. Kantarci’s objective is to assess the long-term benefits and risks of these menopausal hormone therapies on amyloid (Alzheimer's disease marker), heart disease and stroke risk, cognitive function, and mood health. This $10M follow-up study funded by the National Institute on Aging provides a unique and special opportunity to clarify the long-term effects of menopausal hormone therapies on cognitive health and Alzheimer’s risk based on a high quality clinical trial initiated 12 years ago. Add-on funding from ADDF will support brain imaging of another Alzheimer’s disease marker tau. Findings from this study will inform whether postmenopausal women should be taking hormone replacement therapy and which kind is most protective for brain health.

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- 2018
- Phillip Tully, PhD, MPsych (clin), B.H.Sc
- University of Adelaide
- Minimizing Blood Pressure Variability with Antihypertensive Drugs to Reduce Dementia Risk
- Prevention
- $99,363
Duration: 10/01/2018 - 10/01/2020

Abstract:

Elevated blood pressure in mid-life is a modifiable risk factor for cerebrovascular and Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent studies have indicated that intra-individual fluctuations in blood pressure, or blood pressure-variability, may be more important than mean blood pressure, per se, in predicting future risk of cerebrovascular disease. Importantly, certain blood pressure medications may better control blood pressure-variability than others. Dr. Tully will make use of ADDF’s Consortium of Cohorts for Alzheimer’s Prevention Action (CAPA) to pool together individuals from 10 cohorts with over 50,000 patients to study whether certain classes of anti-hypertensive drugs are better able to control blood pressure-variability and whether these drugs also reduce the risk of dementia later in life. The cohorts Dr. Tully has access to contain data for cognitive function, dementia status, and imaging data. Findings from this study will determine whether certain classes of anti-hypertensives are better able to reduce blood pressure-variability, cerebrovascular disease, and dementia risk. This will allow doctors to prescribe anti-hypertensives that will most reduce Alzheimer’s risk later in life.

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- 2018
- Michela Gallagher, PhD
- AgeneBio, Inc.
- 4th An. Goodes Prize for Excellence in AD Drug Discovery: Imaging Sub-Study, HOPE4MCI Phase 3 Trial
- Clinical
- $150,000
Duration: 09/01/2018 - 08/31/2019

Abstract:

People with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have more memory problems than expected for their age. While their symptoms are not as severe as patients with Alzheimer’s, they are at increased risk for developing the dementia. Dr. Gallagher’s research at Johns Hopkins provided the first scientific evidence for developing therapies that target hyperactivity in brain cells, especially in aMCI patients when hyperactivity is most pronounced. Dr. Gallagher founded AgeneBio to tackle hyperactivity in aMCI patients using a low dose formulation of the currently FDA-approved epilepsy drug levetiracetam. Hence, this is a program that is repurposing an existing drug with a novel formulation. HOPE4MCI, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial with their drug, is currently underway. The program has been supported by ADDF for several years. With funds from the ADDF Goodes Prize, Dr. Gallagher will acquire a novel set of imaging data using high resolution MRI and tau PET scans. These data will provide sensitive and quantitative measures for the HOPE4MCI trial and will determine if lowering hyperactivity slows the spread of tau protein.

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