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GAP’s 2026 Q2 Highlights

Colleagues, Partners & Friends,

As we look forward to seeing many of you at the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London, I look back with pride on the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation’s (GAP) Q2 performance.

Our Trial Execution Services (TES) (GAP Participant Services and Inclusive Research Initiative®) teams collectively supported 120 GAP-Net site events that resulted in nearly 850 individuals screened for a GAP-enabled trial. The creativity in their engagement approaches remain the heart of our successes.

Across North America, we have significantly increased awareness, education, and access to blood-based biomarker (BBM) diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease through our healthcare provider engagement program, CNS Insights Collaborative. In just three months, we have connected with more than 570 healthcare providers, equipping clinics with the knowledge and resources to support the use of p-tau181 & p-tau217 BBMs and enhance patient care.

Both arms of the Bio-Hermes study continue to advance and redefine the Alzheimer’s disease landscape, generating critical insights that are shaping the future of diagnosis, treatment, and care. On July 31st, it will be one year since the Bio-Hermes-001 data was made publicly available and we have approved more than 206 requests for access to the dataset. This robust dataset has supported the FDA applications of multiple BBM diagnostic tests as well as promising digital cognitive tests that offer catalytic changes to how we conduct clinical trials and clinical care. We have reinforced these developments in a number of conversations with TrialSite News.

Our team is hyper focused on closing the enrollment of our Bio-Hermes-002 biomarker study which is set for the end of July; the cross-sectional phase of the study will be finished in Q4, and data lock will occur in February 2027.

This study builds on the Bio-Hermes-001 dataset. The breadth and depth of the Bio-Hermes-002 study continues to gain additional partners including Circular Genomics, Sanofi, Siemens Healthineers, and Taudia, demonstrating the need for large, well characterized, multimodal data that will support the validation of next generation technologies. Gold standard amyloid and Tau PET scans in combination with novel digital and blood-based biomarkers, multi-omics, and a state-of-the-art set of MRI sequences ensures that the analysis of the cohorts is as encompassing as the field currently allows. This study includes over 1,000 participants, nearly 30% of those participants being from understudied populations (USP), and 12 and 24 month-long sub-studies that will be a guidepost for its next iteration.

The needs of patients and trial participants have been, and will continue to be, the center of our work. Their perspective is vital to the development and creation of clinical trials, which is something I reiterated in a White Paper in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb.

Early data from Bio-Hermes-002 will be presented in a poster we are proud to provide in: ‘A Comparison of Flortaucipir and MK6240 Tau PET Positivity Rates in the Bio-Hermes-002 Study’ (Poster Number: Sunday-0978, Exhibit Hall 12July2026). In addition,GAP’s Assistant Vice President of Trial Execution Services, Dr. Tamiko MaGee-Rodgers, is an author, along with members of her Inclusive Research Initiative® team, on a Roche poster, ‘Expanding Clinical Trial Access to Underrepresented Populations in the U.S.: Findings from the Alzheimer’s Disease Pre-Screener Study’ (Abstract #5402, Exhibit Hall 12July2026).

Many of our friends and partners have inquired about the location of our 2027 GAP-Net Site Optimization Conference and I am pleased to announce that it will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 1st through 3rd, 2027. In a state with nearly 200,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and a multi-cultural capital city, we anticipate great discussions to come during our time there. Further details on sponsorship and registration pricing will be shared soon.

If you are eager to hear from us before Atlanta, please attend our third annual Inclusive Research Initiative virtual conference on November 12, 2026. This half-day, free conference is led by our IRI team to accelerate, advance, and advocate for increased diversity in all aspects of clinical research. I encourage you to look back at last year’s highly attended panels featuring speakers from major universities and small-town research sites, trial participants, lifelong researchers, educators and advocates as they explored cultural, financial, governmental, and medical barriers to participation in clinical trials, and shared actionable strategies to overcome them.

Already halfway through 2026 and GAP is amping up for a rigorous, vigorous remaining six months. We are grateful for the opportunity to do the work.

Regards,

John Dwyer
President

GAP’s 2026 Q1 Highlights

Colleagues, Trusted Partners, & Friends,

We want to share a brief update on how Q1 of 2026 unfolded for the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) and the significant work anticipated ahead. 

In January, our work received global coverage as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) spotlighted the Bio-Hermes-002 (BH2) study in a story about a finger prick blood test that offers a more accessible method for assisting in the diagnose of Alzheimer’s disease, supported by our partners, LifeArc, and being validated in Bio-Hermes-002. The story was featured in nearly 150 articles, 300 online mentions, and was broadcast on five additional news stations. Collectively, over three billion people heard of this groundbreaking, field changing test.  

The BBC story highlighted the rigor and diagnostic capabilities of the study, and the precedent it sets for the number of diverse digital and BBM technologies it is incorporating and measuring against state-of-the-art MRI and PET images. It also amplified our commitment to ensuring the study has a robust enrollment of volunteers from understudied populations (USP). We are proud to report that Bio-Hermes-002 is on track to enroll 29% of its study participants from USP. GAP recently announced that BH2 is fully enrolled (n=1,000) as of March.

GAP celebrated a decade of collaboration with our 2026 GAP-Net Site Optimization Conference in Las Vegas with over 250 attendees, 40+ speakers, and 23 sponsors. The conversations explored a wide variety of issues surrounding the operational challenges facing clinical trial sites conducting AD research. Conference sponsors included a broad mix of stakeholders in AD research, and we thank AbbVie, Alamar Biosciences, Anavex, Biogen, Brainscope, Bristol Myers Squibb, Catalyst MedTech, Cumulous Neuro, Eisai, Evolution Research Group, GE Healthcare, Hilarity for Charity, IQVIA, IXICO, K2 Medical Research, Lilly, Linus, Quanterix, Siemens Healthineers, SiteRx, and Spear Bio.

A highlight of the conference was receiving the Spirit of Rosa Parks Award, which I accepted on GAP’s behalf from Mr. Bill Preston of the Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. Our organization continues to be a recognized leader in advancing study and research diversity, and while I look forward to a day when that is commonplace, we were honored to receive this award.

Programming throughout the event reflected an operational focus on scientific progress and human impact. Voices from across the ecosystem—including patient-participant advocates and leading researchers—reinforced a shared imperative: accelerating more precise detection and expanding access to innovation. Sessions like “Future Landscape of Alzheimer’s Disease Trials” and “Breakthroughs in Biomarkers & Emerging Tech” highlight a growing field of diagnostic companies at different stages of regulatory readiness, all working to bring new blood-based tests to market. An emerging research topic, “Understanding Gender Disparities in AD: Biology, Clinical Trial Designs, & Trial Participation” helped spark important conversations about the increased prevalence of AD in women, the biology behind it, and how this could impact clinical trial implementation and analysis.

Thank you to all who attended, spoke, sponsored, and supported this event. It is a special thing to get together, and even more so when the reason is as important as accelerating neurodegenerative research. I encourage you to watch the recordings of these important topics if you missed it or need a refresh.

In between these pivotal, groundbreaking achievements, this quarter our team also

  • Refreshed the Bio-Hermes-001 data available through the ADDI Portal on the AD Workbench to include new BD Tau and pTau 231 results from the University of Gotenburg and a full set of test results from the Neulisa platform. More than 146 research teams have requested access to this dataset over the last 8 months and requests for access continue to surge in.
  • Compiled a biospecimen database from volunteers of GAP-sponsored studies: Bio-Hermes-001 and Apheleia-001. Our unique, high-quality repository is reflective of the work GAP does every day and is available through discussions with the GAP sales team.
  • Hosted our 100th site event on our THOR East and West Mobile Research Units since launching in August 2025.
  • Rolled out a first of its kind Healthcare Provider Biomarker engagement program in 7 MSAs.

Collectively, these milestones reflect more than activity; they signal acceleration. They are the result of a decade-long foundation built by a growing network of GAP-Net sites, thousands of citizen scientists, dedicated staff, and a global community of partners.

As the year unfolds, the trajectory is clear: advancing science, expanding access, and driving measurable impact in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of GAP’s first decade. 

Regards,

John Dwyer
President

Jim Taylor: What my wife’s experience with Alzheimer’s has taught me

Posted on the Chicago Tribune on June 9, 2025.

After several unexplained memory slips, there came a day when my wife, Geri, didn’t recognize her own face in the mirror. That’s when we knew it was time for her to get checked out. It was 2012, and Alzheimer’s was a feared diagnosis. At the time, billions of dollars of investments into research and development had failed to produce treatments that could prevent, slow or cure the disease. Getting a definitive diagnosis would be extremely difficult, but the alternative was living with years of uncertainty.

Today, the landscape for Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment has taken a great leap forward. It is increasingly possible to manage the disease and live a fulfilling life. We have reached a historic moment with the FDA’s approval of the first blood biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s. This long-awaited breakthrough means physicians can now detect early signs of Alzheimer’s — which accounts for 70% of all cases of dementia — using a simple blood test that can be done during a regular check-up with your doctor.

While PET scans remain important for confirming a diagnosis, they are only available at specialized centers, typically in urban medical centers, and they are expensive. Blood biomarker tests now offer an easy first step in the diagnostic journey. They provide fast answers for people experiencing memory problems and can even spot early signs of cognitive decline years before symptoms appear. Without these tests, most people have a long, challenging path to diagnosis.

My wife Geri’s path to diagnosis was anything but simple. In 2012, a neurologist confirmed she had mild cognitive impairment, a common precursor to Alzheimer’s. It was a life-altering event. Over the next few years, we knew we had to dig deeper into the cause of her condition, to uncover any potential medical options. Eventually we found a clinical trial for an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, and she received a PET scan to determine whether she qualified for the trial. Her brain scan detected amyloid plaque, the telltale sign of Alzheimer’s. The diagnosis was difficult to face, but it meant we didn’t have to struggle with uncertainty. We could act.

I understand the fear that surrounds an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but catching it early helps. Changes in the brain begin years before memory problems become noticeable. The earlier the diagnosis, the more options people have. Research shows that anti-amyloid therapies are more effective when administered earlier: In one clinical trial, patients with early Alzheimer’s showed 35% slowing of cognitive decline, compared with those on the placebo. These treatments can help people maintain their independence longer and make the most of their lucid years.

Geri was fortunate to participate in a clinical trial that significantly slowed her disease progression. The seven-year trial period was a game-changer for us. The regular infusions were a source of hope as we saw her benefit from the medication. This precious time allowed Geri to develop coping strategies to manage her disease. Together, we traveled across the country giving talks about living with Alzheimer’s disease, and Geri needed very little assistance. We cherished this time together — years made possible because we sought answers early.

Following the FDA’s landmark approval of blood biomarker tests, the next step is making these tests widely available. Hospitals and health care systems across the country should ensure primary care physicians are aware of these tests and understand how to use them. Public education campaigns can raise awareness with people who have concerns about cognitive impairment and their families.

Early detection gives people meaningful choices, and most importantly it gives people time. Time to benefit from lifestyle changes, participate in groundbreaking clinical trials, and access treatments when they can make the greatest difference. Although facing a potential Alzheimer’s diagnosis is daunting, waiting only limits a person’s options. If you’re concerned that you or a loved one might have signs of cognitive impairment, please don’t stay in the dark. Blood biomarker tests offer real hope in a new era of Alzheimer’s care. The sooner we embrace these advances, the more precious time we can preserve.

Jim Taylor is president and CEO of Voices of Alzheimer’s, a patient advocacy organization.

GAP’s Remarks on Hurricane Milton

October 10, 2024

The state of Florida just stood up to the assault of Hurricane Helene, followed by Milton, a ferocious one-two punch in the 2024 hurricane season.  The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) is relieved and very grateful that our Florida GAP-Net sites, our Florida GAP partners and our own FL-based GAP team members, are generally safe and out of harm’s way. 

To be sure, there are homes that experienced significant wind and water damage.  Also, clinical trial sites that will have to clean up and repair before they reopen.  And we will assist them in any way we can, and ask our sponsors and partners to be patient while we do so. But our people are safe—that is the first order of business.  

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by Milton and its aftermath. We want to thank all the emergency responders and power and water crews supporting the Florida communities that are digging out of Milton on the heels of Helene.

With the collective efforts of everyone, we look forward to resuming the search for therapies for Alzheimer’s and related dementias in the near future.

Experts say More Diversity is Needed in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials

BY CAIT MCVEY TAMPA | Spectrum News 1

TAMPA, Fla. — Research included in a new report by the Alzheimer’s Association shows Black Americans are twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than white Americans, yet the population is significantly underrepresented in clinical trials for treatments.

It’s a statistic Dr. Susan Steen, president of Axiom Clinical Research of Florida, said could change with education and awareness.

A donanemab trial is underway at Axiom. It’s the latest Alzheimer’s drug awaiting approval from the FDA.

Steen said more diverse participation is needed.

“The disease may be different. We don’t know if the treatment will be as helpful,” said Steen. “Or if they’ll be as safe or have other tolerability issues so it’s very, very important that we reach communities of diversity.”

Mack Davis is a participant in the donanemab trial. When making the decision to enroll, his wife Janette Davis said the couple’s first thoughts were of their daughter.

“The thing that drew me to hit was my daughter,” Janette Davis said. “My father had Alzheimer’s. His father had Alzheimer’s. Now he has Alzheimer’s. What about my daughter?”

Davis wanted to share her husband’s experience in the hopes of raising awareness about the disease for other Black families.

For more information on how to enroll in the trial at Axiom, visit the clinic’s website.

GAP Mourns First Lady Rosalynn Carter

The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) thanks the First Lady for the grace and dignity she showed before and after President Carter’s term, and even more so these past six months after bravely announcing her dementia diagnosis. We join many around the world mourning her loss while acknowledging her quiet, positive impact over her 96 years. 

A champion for human rights and mental health reform, Mrs. Carter showed compassion for her fellow citizen. She redefined the role of the President’s spouse and proved that post-presidency efforts can solidify a legacy just as much as a presidential term can. The devotion that she and former President Jimmy Carter had for each other and to all those in need, set an inspiring precedent that has changed the White House and political landscape.

We send our most heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and those that knew her.  

GAP Applauds New Women’s Health Research

We applaud First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council on the first ever initiative on Women’s Health Research, with a focus on ‘engaging the scientific, private sector, and philanthropic communities’.

GAP is committed to ensuring that clinical research includes all people, and that includes ensuring that women are equally represented. We will eagerly keep an eye on the progress, and are encouraged to see that Alzheimer’s Disease was among the many priorities listed as the new effort is launched, as women are 2x more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than men. 

 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/13/fact-sheet-president-joe-biden-to-announce-first-ever-white-house-initiative-on-womens-health-research-an-effort-led-by-first-lady-jill-biden-and-the-white-house-gender-policy-council/

GAP Congratulates New Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Today, the US Senate confirmed President Biden’s nominee for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director, Monica Bertagnolli, MD, who will lead the country’s top medical research institute. “We are thrilled that the US Senate has confirmed Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as the new Director of the NIH, as she is an esteemed leader with an impressive career that will guide the Institute forward.”

“We congratulate Dr. Bertagnolli on the confirmation and are excited to see her leadership as the head of NIH. At Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP), we know that the right leaders in place will advance the desperately needed clinical research for Alzheimer’s disease to help find a cure. We are eager to see what lies ahead under Dr. Bertagnolli’s leadership and are encouraged by her commitment to health equity, as we know that prioritizing diversity and inclusion is the only way forward when it comes to clinical research.”

For immediate release: 
Contact: [email protected] 

About Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) 
The nonprofit Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® was founded to speed the delivery of Alzheimer’s treatments with a commitment to promoting diversity in clinical research, as well as lowering the cost and duration of clinical trials to ensure that no one is left behind. As part of its mission, GAP supports more than 100 clinical research sites around the world through study start up and recruitment activities, promoting diversity in research studies, and recognizing the citizen scientists who make research possible. 

How the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation Contributed to AAIC

Revolutionary Studies, Record Breaking Collaboration, and Promising News on Biomarker Studies Top the Charts at AAIC  

Washington D.C., Aug 31, 2023— Researchers and leaders from the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) assembled with the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers, patient advocates, and clinicians at the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC). From the memorable week, four key moments stood out with the potential to revolutionize current processes and practices in the industry.   

1. Bio-Hermes-001- the Lynchpin of Alzheimer’s Early Detection

The Poster on Bio-Hermes-001 study topline results brought promise, serving as a key element for getting to disease diagnosis in a novel manner. In 2021, GAP launched Bio-Hermes-001, the first-of-its-kind biomarker study to compare the results of several blood-based and digital biomarker tests with the results of four cognitive tests, including brain amyloid PET scans. The study closed 18 months later with more than 1,000 participants, 24 percent of whom are from traditionally underrepresented communities. The results showed blood-based AD biomarkers are associated with brain amyloid positivity warranting further analysis of the Bio-Hermes community-derived database of blood-based and digital biomarkers.

2. Apheleia-001- Innovative Pre-Screener Study

The Poster on Apheleia-001 outlined the novel prescreening study designed to enrich and accelerate Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials by efficiently identifying trial-eligible participants determined to have a high probability of study inclusion, including amyloid positivity. This study shows promise as an innovative pre-screener study which uses blood-based biomarkers to identify prospective volunteers more quickly for therapeutic Alzheimer’s research trials. The hope is that by doing so, people with Alzheimer’s disease may get diagnosed and treated faster.   

3. CEOi’s Blood-Based Biomarker Working meeting

The  CEOi’s  Blood-Based Biomarker Workgroup meeting showcased the Workgroup’s progress to prepare for widespread adoption of blood-based biomarkers in routine clinical practice and was moderated by GAP President and CEO, John Dwyer. The conversation was rich, highlighting workstreams to enable a simpler, more efficient, and accurate Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The meeting also brought in over 170 stakeholders in academia, industry, research and patient advocacy and can be viewed here.    

4. Co-Hosted Networking Opportunity

To expand the opportunity for experts in the field to network, GAP co-hosted a reception which inspired mingling of the top minds in Alzheimer’s Disease research. Co-hosts included Global CEOi Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. More than 400 researchers, study sponsors, biotech and tech companies and science-allies  from around the world gathered to celebrate recent hope in new treatments and breakthroughs, collaborate, and strategize on the work left to come Relationships built in settings such as this have been known to spark innovation and help build the momentum for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.

GAP MEDIA CONTACT 

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]   

Tel: 781-710-0266 

About Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) 

The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) is a patient-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the delivery of innovative therapies for neurological disorders by reducing the duration and cost of clinical trials. Over 100 research centers around the world are part of the growing GAP Network (GAP-Net). 

Aumentan los casos de Alzheimer en el Valle de Texas

Jessica Cantu from GAP-Net site El Faro Health and Therapeutics was at the Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam and spoke about the creation of the site in Starr County, Texas.

En el condado Starr, casi uno en cada cuatro adultos de 65 años de edad en adelante fueron diagnosticados con Alzheimer en el año 2021.

“Me da escalofrío porque es algo que lamentablemente nos afectó a nosotros personalmente gracias a dios no pasó a mayores”, dijo Jessica Cantu, investigadora en el Faro Health and Therapeutics.

Cantu piensa en las otras familias del lado de las fronteras del Valle que siguen buscando a un ser querido que salió de la casa sin rumbo y nunca regresó.

Recientemente, Cantu viajó a Ámsterdam como parte de un congreso de la Asociación contra el Alzheimer’s, donde explicó cómo desde una clínica en Río Grande City, pacientes en todo el mundo podrán beneficiar de nuevos medicamentos.

“Hablamos del Condado Estrella, porque hay tantos casos a cuánto nos afecta, somos número dos en la nación”, aseguró Cantu.

La clínica El Faro recolecta muestras de sangre y otros análisis para encontrar patrones relacionadas con la enfermedad.

“Él ni siquiera sabe que está enfermo, que no puede caminar, es bien difícil”, comentó Maria de Sánchez, residente de Río Grande City.

El esposo de María de Sánchez tiene la enfermedad, y teme que ella también podría padecer de Alzheimer. 

“En vez de sentirte segura, tú te sientes insegura, sientes que ya no puedes, cada día es más difícil”, expresó María de Sánchez.

Hasta la fecha, no hay una cura para este tipo de demencia, pero sí hay ciertos medicamentos y cambios en el estilo de vida que pueden ayudar. 

Originally posted by KRGV.com on August 16, 2023.