Drug Development Program

Grants to USA, Canada, and International clinicians and researchers based at nonprofits, for-profits, IHEs, and medical centers to support drug research. Applicants must submit an LOI prior to applying. Funding is intended for the development of drugs in the pre-clinical candidate selection stage. Grants are available to develop therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The Drug Development RFP seeks to support in vivo preclinical studies that advance lead molecules developed for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to IND-enabling studies. The proposed studies should be structured to deliver a compound with strong potential for clinical and commercial application.Therapeutic modalities: Includes small molecules, biologics, gene therapies, antisense oligonucleotides, and stem cells.Stage of discovery:Preclinical pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) (primarily in wild-type animals to inform dose selection for in vivo efficacy studies), as well as preliminary rodent tolerability studiesIn vivo efficacy or proof-of-concept studies in animal models of disease or aging, with a focus on measures of direct and indirect markers of target engagement and downstream pharmacologic effectsDrug mechanisms or modes of action: Novel drug mechanisms and modes of action related to the biology of aging and other emerging therapeutic areas for dementia are considered high priority. These include, but are not limited to:EpigeneticsInflammationMitochondria & metabolic functionNeuroprotectionProteostasisSynaptic activity and neurotransmittersVascular functionOther mechanisms and modes of action related to the biology of aging (e.g., senescent cells)Other novel mechanisms or modes of action that are supported by compelling evidence demonstrated a rational biological connection to the disease process