26 Sep 2003

A novel public-private consortium designed to combat Alzheimer’s disease by supporting the development of new animal models is seeking grant applications from scientists at universities and
independent research institutes worldwide. Models developed with funding from the Alzheimer Research Consortium will be made available at cost to Alzheimer researchers in academia, non-profit organizations, and in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

The Alzheimer’s Association, the Institute for the Study of Aging, and Pfizer Inc, are among the founding members of the consortium. Each of them has agreed to provide funds for targeted research grants leading to improvements in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of AD. A scientific advisory board of leaders in Alzheimer research will review the grant proposals and make recommendations for funding to the consortium’s board of trustees. The consortium anticipates awarding between $500,000 and $750,000 in grants by the end of this year. Founding members expect that annual funds will increase as other non-profit and for-profit institutions join the consortium, which is a 501(c)(3) public charity. The deadline for research grant applications is 27 October, 2003. Application instructions are available at /adconsortium.asp.

“This consortium represents a unique partnership between non-profit and for-profit entities seeking to advance the state-of-the-art in Alzheimer research,” said William Thies, president of the consortium and vice-president for medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer’s Association. Howard Fillit, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Aging, a New York-based private foundation endowed by the Estée Lauder Trust, said, “Successful proposals might focus on new techniques for creating animal models, behavioral paradigms relevant to AD, brain imaging techniques, the discovery and validation of relevant biomarkers, or characterization of naturally occurring animal models.”

For more information, contact Elizabeth Wilson, Alzheimer’s Association, 312-335-5814, Elizabeth.Wilson@alz.org; Liz Power, Pfizer Inc, 860-732-4987,
Elizabeth.Power@pfizer.groton.com; Howard Fillit, The Institute for the Study of Aging, Inc., 212-572-4086, hfillit@aging-institute.org. -From Alzheimer Research Consortium press release.