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Alzheimer’s Association Takes On Leadership Role In Landmark Alzheimer’s Biomarker Study — Known As ADNI4 — To Convene Private Partner Scientific Board

Alzheimer’s Association Takes On Leadership Role In Landmark Alzheimer’s Biomarker Study — Known As ADNI4 — To Convene Private Partner Scientific Board
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October 14, 2022
Email: media@alz.org
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Chicago, October 14, 2022 — The National Institute on Aging has awarded $147 million to the Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE) to continue the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

The new grant will fund a five-year extension of the study, termed ADNI4, set to begin in September 2022. Importantly, and new in this stage of the study, between 50 and 60% of participants will be from populations historically under-represented in medical/scientific research.
 
Founded in 2004 with the goal of validating biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials, ADNI in its several incarnations has had a major impact on Alzheimer’s research and clinical trials and has yielded more than 4,500 scientific publications.

Where previously ADNI was funded by U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) plus private companies and non-profit organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, ADNI4 will be solely funded by the NIA.
 
With the launch of ADNI4, the Alzheimer’s Association, which has been a funder of ADNI since its very beginning, is taking on a new role — convener of the Private Partner Scientific Board (PPSB) — previously done by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH).

“The Alzheimer’s Association is the global, neutral third-party best positioned to be the bridge between the scientists conducting the research and industry partners who, although no longer directly funding ADNI, are keenly interested in the study’s mission and output,” said Christopher Weber, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association director of global science initiatives and staff liaison to the ADNI4 PPSB. 

Until now, the PPSB was the forum for the industry funders’ voice in the overall design and conduct of ADNI1-3. The Alzheimer’s Association sees the ADNI PPSB continuing as an independent and self-governing organization, run by its members, to provide needed insights and guidance to the ADNI investigators. The Association will be responsible for the logistics of planning, organizing and hosting the PPSB meetings, including monthly meetings of the full PPSB, and monthly and quarterly meetings of various working groups.

“Our goal in convening the PPSB is to provide global industry experts a platform to collaborate, and allow for projects to emerge and crystallize from PPSB members. We will also help organize funding for those projects from multiple stakeholders,” Weber said. 

The PPSB carries over four working groups from previous incarnations of ADNI that parallel key focus areas of the ADNI Core. They are:
  • ADNI PPSB Biofluid Biomarkers Work Group.
  • ADNI PPSB Clinical Endpoints Work Group.
  • ADNI PPSB PET Endpoints Working Group.
  • ADNI PPSB Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Work Group.
The newest working group is addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly in the context of recruiting a more diverse and representative group of participants for the study, which is a high priority of ADNI4. The focus will be on groups that are historically under-represented, such as Black Americans/African-Americans, Hispanic Americans/Latinx Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, American Indians and people with less than a high school education.

The Alzheimer’s Association is already a leader in this area through the innovative recruiting efforts of the U.S. POINTER and New IDEAS studies.

ADNI4 PPSB membership involves a nominal participation cost, which is based on the company’s earnings, to cover the expenses of hosting the meetings. Membership is open to all companies in the space. Currently, there are 20 current members, with 10 additional companies in the process of securing membership.

If companies are interested in joining an ADNI PPSB workgroup, please contact Chris Weber (cweber@alz.org) or Tommy Morris (tomorris@alz.org) at the Alzheimer’s Association.
 

About the Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

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