Momentum in Alzheimer’s Research Guided by the Biology of Aging Featured in Keynote Delivered by Dr. Howard Fillit at AD/PD™ 2024

NEW YORK – February 12, 2024 – The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is pleased to announce its founders will play a significant role in this year’s AD/PD™ 2024 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders, from March 5^th to 9^th, in Lisbon, Portugal. The ADDF’s Co-Chairman and Co-Founder, Ronald S. Lauder, will participate in the inaugural Fireside Chat and ADDF Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, Howard Fillit, MD, will deliver a keynote titled, “Translating the Biology of Aging Into New Therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease,” focusing on the next frontier of Alzheimer’s treatment—combination therapy and precision medicine.

“We are witnessing remarkable momentum in Alzheimer’s drug development, but it crucial that we continue to catalyze this progress to create the next generation of treatments targeting the underlying disease biology,” says Dr. Fillit. “As accessible and scalable diagnostic tools and blood biomarkers emerge—filling crucial gaps that once hindered progress—we can now combine these advancements to deliver novel treatments and prevention strategies. The holy grail of Alzheimer’s treatment will be combination therapy and precision medicine supported by lifestyle interventions, allowing us to develop personalized treatment regimens for patients.”

To open the conference Tuesday evening, Ronald S. Lauder will take part in the first Fireside Chat, exploring the significant role of philanthropy in driving Alzheimer’s research and innovation. This fireside chat comes nearly a year after the Lauder family’s historic $200M gift to the ADDF to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. Henrietta M. Nielson, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurochemistry and Molecular Neurobiology at Stockholm University; Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD, Partner and Head of the Dementia Fund at EQT Life Sciences; and Abraham Fisher, PhD, President of AD/PD will serve as co-chairs for the discussion.

On Thursday, March 7^th, Dr. Fillit will hold a keynote presentation that pulls from his 45+ years of experience as a neuroscientist, geriatrician, and philanthropy executive. Dr. Fillit, along with the ADDF, is one of the pioneers in bringing the biology of aging approach to the forefront of Alzheimer’s research. It has recently emerged as the leading approach for drug development in the broader field, and this is reflected in the current Alzheimer’s pipeline, where nearly 75% of drugs in development focus on novel targets beyond amyloid and tau like neuroinflammation and metabolic disturbances.

After the FDA approval of anti-amyloid Leqembi led to an industry-wide consensus on the modest role of amyloid in slowing cognitive decline, scientists have doubled down on targeting novel aging pathways with the goal of developing an arsenal of drugs to treat patients with a care regimen akin to cancer. AD/PD will also feature sessions and keynotes from several ADDF-funded investigators whose work is paving the way for the next generation of Alzheimer’s treatments, which will be shaped by the development and commercialization of novel drugs, and accessible and affordable biomarkers. 

Other notable sessions featuring the ADDF include:

Fireside Chat: Tuesday, March 5^th, 6:15-7:20pm GMT

• Chairs: Henrietta Nielsen, PhD (Stockholm University); Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD (EQT Life Sciences); and Abraham Fisher, PhD (AD/PD) 
• Presenters: Ronald S. Lauder (ADDF), and Abraham Fisher, PhD (AD/PD)

Symposium: Shaping the Future: Novel Approaches in Alzheimer’s Research Guided by the Biology of Aging

• Investments in Innovation: Creating the Path Forward for Combination Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease – Wednesday, March 6^th, 11:10am-12:00pm GMT
  • Moderator: Niranjan Bose, PhD, MS & B Pharm (Gates Ventures)
  • Panelists: Howard Fillit, MD (ADDF); Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD (EQT Life Sciences); Laurence Barker, PhD, MBA (Dementia Discovery Fund); and Susan Kohlhaas, PhD (Alzheimer’s Research UK)

• The Biology of Aging: Leading The Next Generation of Alzheimer’s Therapies with a Geroscience Focus – Wednesday, March 6^th, 12:00-12:50pm GMT
  • Moderator: Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
  • Panelists: Howard Fillit, MD (ADDF); Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD (Karolinska Institutet); Miranda Orr, PhD (Wake Forest University); and Jacques Touchon, MD, PhD (University of Montpellier School of Medicine)

Forum Discussion: "Blood-based Biomarkers (BBM) - How Do They Relate to CSF, Digital Tools, and Imaging Biomarkers?" – Wednesday, March 6^th, 2:30-3:30pm GMT

• Chairs: Melissa E. Murray, PhD (Mayo Clinic), and Oskar Hansson, MD, PhD (Lund University)
• Presenters: Howard Fillit, MD (ADDF); Michael J. Pontecorvo, MD (Eli Lilly); Charlotte E. Teunissen, PhD (Amsterdam UMC); Agneta Nordberg, MD, PhD (Karolinska Institutet); Pallavi Sachdev, PhD (Eisai); and Danielle Graham, PhD (Biogen)

Keynote: Translating The Biology Of Aging Into New Therapeutics For Alzheimer’s Disease – Thursday, March 7^th, 08:00-08:30am GMT

• Chairs: Abraham Fisher, PhD (AD/PD)
• Presenters: Howard Fillit, MD (ADDF)

Forum Discussion: “Translation Drug Development in AD (PHASE I-III) and Relevance for Treatment and Disease Modification – What could be promising strategies?” – Friday, March 8^th, 4:20-5:20pm GMT

• Chairs: Howard Fillit, MD (ADDF), and Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
• Presenters: Suzanne Hendrix, PhD (Pentara); Luka Kulic, MD (Roche); Jaren Landen, PhD (Biogen); Frank M. Longo, MD, PhD (Stanford University); Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD (Karolinska Institutet); and Chad Swanson, PhD (Prothena Biosciences)

To view the full program for the 2024 AD/PD^TM conference, visit the conference webpage.