Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP) Foundation Unites 58 of the World's Leading Research Sites With Goal of Doubling Clinical Trial Participation in USA

"The first person cured of Alzheimer's will be someone who participated in a clinical trial.  The nation desperately needs a therapy for Alzheimer's.  Significantly improving the clinical trials process is critical to implementing those therapies," commented John Dwyer, President of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation.  "We know that our methodology for expediting trials is working.  We are attacking a major hurdle in bringing therapies to patients."

To accomplish its mission, the GAP Foundation is:

• Establishing a state-of-the-art, online recruitment process for trial participants, covering individuals ranging from preclinical and pre-symptomatic conditions to mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease.
• Expanding GAP-Net, an integrated platform of trial-ready, high-performing clinical trial sites, dedicated to shortening the duration of trials. The research network includes: Stanford University, University of California San Francisco, Compass Research, Raleigh Neurological Associates, University of Southern California, the Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern University, Emory University, Mayo Clinic, Washington University, Howard University and many more.
• Of the 58 GAP-Net sites, 47 academic and private sites have agreed to share a single Institutional Review Board (IRB) creating the largest Alzheimer's disease research network under a single IRB in North America. This unprecedented achievement allows for speedier AD trial launches while simultaneously protecting the rights and safety of participants.
• Establishing a customized recruitment process that connects potential trial participants to GAP-Net research centers. This includes extensive initiatives to increase community engagement, both live and online.
• Increasing the participation of the African American and Latino communities in clinical trials by establishing relationships between GAP-Net sites and the healthcare professionals serving these populations.
• Launching MemoryStrings.org, a digital platform connecting GAP-Net researchers, research volunteers, caregivers, advocates and local communities. The platform's goal is to facilitate the inclusion of more people into clinical trials.

Curing Alzheimer's disease depends on clinical trials and recruiting trial participants remains a global challenge.  85% of trials are delayed due to enrollment issues and more than 30% of total trial time is spent just on recruiting.   One of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation's primary goals is to establish a recruitment infrastructure to ensure speedy enrollment of targeted individuals into trials.

Sponsors currently supporting GAP's initiatives include Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund, Bright Focus Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Janssen, Lilly, Roche, Eisai, Biogen, Lundbeck, Takeda, Pfizer and others. 

For a current list of GAP-Net sites and researchers, please visit the link here.

For more information about the GAP Foundation, please visit www.globalalzplatform.org.  To volunteer, visit www.memorystrings.org.

Note to Editors

For interviews with GAP representatives and/or GAP-Net researchers, please contact Gus Nodal at: (415) 359-2320 or [email protected].

About Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation (GAP)

GAP is a patient-centric, non-profit dedicated to speeding the delivery of innovative medicines to those in need by reducing the time and cost of Alzheimer's disease clinical trials.  GAP formed a unique and growing network of 59 leading research centers across the U.S. and Canada to help optimize their operations.  GAP launched a community-based recruitment model and an online platform designed to accelerate trial recruitment and increase minority representation in research.  Based in Washington D.C., GAP was created by UsAgainstAlzheimer's and the Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) in 2015.  To learn more about the GAP, please visit globalalzplatform.org.

Media Contact:
Gus Nodal
Landis Communications Inc.
(415) 359-2320
[email protected]
www.landispr.com

SOURCE Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation

Related Links

http://www.globalalzplatform.org