For the first time in 15 years, there are new Alzheimer’s drug treatments on the horizon that are expected to seek regulatory approval by the FDA and leading experts are increasely optimistic that a major breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research will occur within the next five years. We are at a moment of peak opportunity – and there is a pressing need – to connect innovators, funders, and investors to continue this momentum in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
Taking cues from the format of the popular television show “Shark Tank,” GAP is launching the inaugural GAP Innovation Summit (GAP IS) on May 5, 2020 that will allow science pioneers, entrepreneurs, and inventors to pitch their innovation to leading industry executives, funders, and investors to spur the Alzheimer’s innovation ecosystem. To ensure robust presentations and audience engagement, GAP is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), a foundation well-known for its venture philanthropy approach and scientific expertise.
“Exposing investors, payers, and regulators to the next great wave of innovations in drugs and devices is essential to advancing Alzheimer’s science, and, ultimately, unlocking the break-throughs needed to end this disease by 2025,” said George Vradenburg, Chairman of the GAP Foundation.
The summit will also include networking opportunities and funders and investors will have the opportunity to select potential partners from among the most exciting developments in Alzheimer’s science to move forward with financial support.
FINDING BREAKTHROUGHS
Opportunities to contribute to field of Alzheimer’s science is multi-faceted. That’s why presentations at GAP IS will be split among four themes.
- Therapies with various targets (eg, tau, inflammation, infection, and genes)
- Biomakers captured via various methods (eg, blood, breath, and retinal and brain scans)
- Digital tools for screening and diagnosis as well as use of artificial intelligence and big data
- Blue Sky Innovations, a category to capture any exciting trend in AD innovation.
After all the presentations, the audience in attendance will vote on the best of each category and the winner will receive an award and the prestige of being an inaugural winner at GAP IS.
We encourage all interested innovators, funders, investors and policymakers to join us in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 2020 as we continue our efforts to end this disease by 2025. Learn more today!
About the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation
The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) is a patient-centric nonprofit foundation dedicated to speeding the delivery of innovative medicines to those in need by reducing the time and cost of Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. In collaboration with other foundations, research centers and industry, GAP established GAP-Net, a growing network of more than 80 academic and private Alzheimer’s disease research centers across the US and Canada. GAP-Net sites share data, best practices, use of a central Institutional Review Board and common clinical trial contracts. GAP is committed to enhancing clinical trial recruitment and study processes to reduce clinical testing cycles by up to two years. To learn more, please visit: globalalzplatform.org.
About the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is the only philanthropy solely focused on accelerating the development of drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Its venture philanthropy approach and scientific expertise allows the ADDF to support the most promising ideas around the world.
Our team of expert neuroscientists find and fund drug discovery projects that have the best chance of preventing or treating Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Drug discovery is a chronically underfunded area, so our investments mean good ideas get explored. And every idea is a chance at a cure. To learn more, please visit: https://www.alzdiscovery.org/