Alzheimer’s partnership to fund new research in the United Kingdom

A partnership between the United Kingdom-based Alzheimer’s Society and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is engaged to fund up to $1.5 million for Alzheimer’s drug development programs. 

Endeavors that would be eligible for funding include those focused on repurposed pharmaceuticals, pushing forward previous scientific foundations and research that speeds up the process of developing Alzheimer’s-related drugs.

"We are very excited to partner with the ADDF and provide this critical funding to researchers on the front lines of dementia research," remarked Doug Brown, PhD, director of research and development at the Alzheimer's Society, in a release. "By supporting this research, we are helping to make the hope of finding effective dementia treatments within the next 10 years a reality."

No cure for Alzheimer’s currently exists and the drugs that have been developed and approved to treat the neurodegenerative disease can only hold symptoms at bay, but they don’t slow disease progression.

"Through the repurposing of drugs in development or approved for other conditions, there is the potential to dramatically reduce the time and costs typically associated with bringing a drug from basic research and clinical development to patients," noted Howard Fillit, MD, executive director and chief science officer of the ADDF, in a release. "This partnership exemplifies the importance of combining and leveraging available resources to accelerate drug discovery in Alzheimer's."

Proposals for research programs will continue to be reviewed by the ADDF until June 5.