It Will Take an Arsenal of Treatments to Fight Alzheimer’s

There is more reason for optimism now than ever before.

In a letter to the editor published in the Wall Street Journal on June 9, 2022, Dr. Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF),  outlines why taking a diverse approach to Alzheimer’s research and continuing to drive progress in biomarker development are key to our success in developing new therapies to fight this disease.

According to Dr. Fillit, “our success in fighting Alzheimer’s will come from the combination therapies that are standard of care for other major diseases of aging, such as heart disease, cancer, and hypertension. Alzheimer’s is inextricably linked to the biology of aging, meaning there are many biological processes that go awry and contribute. This understanding is reflected by the many novel drug targets in today’s pipeline aimed at modifying the course of disease, slowing, and perhaps halting its progression.”

The ADDF has spearheaded the biology of aging approach, which addresses the many, complex causes of Alzheimer’s. In recent years, researchers have made great progress in identifying biomarkers aimed at these diverse causes, with the first blood test for Alzheimer’s now available and other noninvasive tests, such as eye scans and digital markers, in development. These diagnostics are vital to accelerating both early diagnosis and drug development.

“We’re getting closer to an arsenal of effective treatments paired with specific biomarkers, so physicians can zero in on the causes of each patient’s Alzheimer’s and offer personalized drug combinations,” writes Dr. Fillit in his letter. “As a physician and scientist who spent decades working with Alzheimer’s patients and families, I’m excited and more optimistic than ever.”

Read the full letter here.