Alzheimer's Association Doubles Investment to $60 Million for Part the Cloud Grant Program

Bill Gates Funds $10 Million Grant in Match Challenge to Fuel Research and Accelerate Alzheimer's Treatment

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Nov 04, 2019, 06:00 ET

CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Gates is joining the Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud global research grant program led by visionary philanthropist Mikey Hoag. Gates' award of $10 million will stimulate an additional $20 million in funding by the Alzheimer's Association, through Part the Cloud, doubling the program's total clinical research investments to $60 million in just one year. This strategic funding will help propel high-risk, high-reward research aimed at uncovering underlying brain cell changes, timely diagnosis and new treatments for Alzheimer's and all dementia.

Alzheimer’s Association Doubles Investment to $60 Million for Part the Cloud Grant Program

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With dementia affecting 50 million people worldwide, there is an urgent and pressing need to identify therapies capable of preventing or reversing brain cell damage inflicted by Alzheimer's and other causes of dementia. Part the Cloud awards are specifically designed to accelerate translation of findings from the laboratory, through trials, into possible therapies — filling the gap in Alzheimer's drug development by providing essential support for early-phase clinical studies.

"Like millions of others, I have witnessed the devastating effects of Alzheimer's disease firsthand. Finding a treatment or cure is an enormous scientific challenge that needs increased and continued research investments," Bill Gates said. "The Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud program is impressive and accelerating early clinical phases of drug development to slow, stop and ultimately cure the disease."

Through Part the Cloud, Gates is participating in a strategic and unique Alzheimer's Association research initiative that has already awarded $30 million in grants to 39 state-of-the-art research projects. Part the Cloud has driven significant additional funding to grant recipients who have gone on to receive more than $259 million in follow up funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, venture capital firms and other sources.

"After losing my father to this disease, I needed to champion cutting-edge and innovative approaches to Alzheimer's research, and I couldn't do it alone," said Mikey Hoag. "Part the Cloud is the realization of that vision and is a global movement sparking philanthropic investment to advance promising Alzheimer's and dementia drug development research."

Part the Cloud is part of the Alzheimer's Association's robust research platform, the largest nonprofit research program focused on Alzheimer's and dementia globally. This research program actively brings together government, academia, companies and philanthropists to support the efforts of researchers and accelerate science to achieve effective treatments.

"Part the Cloud propels the global research community and allows it to explore innovative avenues of research that can accelerate needed treatments," said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer's Association. "Bill Gates and Mikey Hoag's commitment to the Alzheimer's Association demonstrates the urgency with which we must pursue innovative ideas that could be game changers for the tens of millions affected by Alzheimer's disease worldwide."

To learn more about the research funded by Part the Cloud, visit: alz.org/speed.

About the Alzheimer's Association^®
The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit alz.org or call +1 800.272.3900.

SOURCE Alzheimer's Association