Racing the Alzheimer's Wave
Drug development for Alzheimer’s disease is expensive and risky. Still, it is a challenge that must be confronted due to the rapid aging of the population and the lack of effective therapies and medications.
To that end, the National Institute on Aging is awarding approximately $37 million over five years to a team of international researchers, led by Emory, to help accelerate the development of promising new therapies that will effectively treat or prevent Alzheimer’s. The grant is part of a larger $73 million program to establish the Alzheimer’s Centers for the Discovery of New Medicines, designed to diversify and reinvigorate the Alzheimer’s drug development pipeline.
“Given the widespread aging of the US baby boomer population, and current unsuccessful treatment approaches focused on amyloid and select other therapeutic targets, this substantial investment answers a critical and time-sensitive need,” says Allan Levey, director of the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Emory. The goal? A diverse portfolio of well-characterized new therapeutic and diagnostic targets for Alzheimer’s.
