The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Accelerates Cures for Neurodegenerative Diseases

News provided by

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

Jan 13, 2010, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) will host its 4th Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration conference. Twenty-eight international leaders in the field of neurodegenerative disease drug discovery will speak on February 1-2, 2010 at the Houstonian Hotel in Houston, Texas.

The meeting focuses on the complex process of translating basic research into novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The conference is organized around six sessions: Basics of Medicinal Chemistry; In-vitro Testing: Early Phases of Drug Discovery; Pre-Clinical Proof-of-Concept & Development; Issues in Technology Transfer: Interactions and Intellectual Property; Case Studies in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis; and Resources and Services for Advancing Drug Discovery.

The annual meeting attracts a multi-disciplinary network of academic and industry scientists engaged in drug discovery research for neurodegenerative diseases, business development and licensing professionals, alliance management professionals, venture capitalists and other investors.

FOR DETAILS AND TO REGISTER, VISIT: www.alzdiscovery.org. For group discounts contact the Conference Secretariat at [email protected].

This CME accredited conference is organized and sponsored by the ADDF. It is also supported by a conference grant: 2U13-AG031125 from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Additional sponsors include the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Alzheimer's Foundation of America, JSW Life Sciences, MS Fast Forward and the CHDI Foundation.

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are still available. TO SPONSOR OR EXHIBIT, CONTACT: Filomena Machleder, [email protected]

For Journalists: If you would like more information on Alzheimer's disease and drug discovery, to speak with Dr. Howard Fillit, or if you would like to receive press credentials to attend the conference, please contact Filomena Machleder at 212-901-8004 or [email protected].

About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)

ADDF (www.alzdiscovery.org) is the only public charity whose sole mission is to accelerate the discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease, related dementias and cognitive aging. We award grants to leading scientists conducting breakthrough drug discovery research. ADDF uses a venture philanthropy model to bridge the worldwide funding gap between basic research and later-stage development, using any return on investment to support new research. Since 1998, we have received over 2,500 requests to fund new ideas for Alzheimer's drugs. For all, we provided expert reviews and recommendations to advance their programs. We granted more than $37 million to fund more than 270 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs in academic centers and biotechnology companies in 15 countries. ADDF has invested over $8 million in 40 biotechnology companies, which have received follow-on commitments of over $1 billion.

SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation