Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation: Awards for Drug Discovery Research for Frontotemporal Dementia Announced

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 06, 2009) - The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD) announced today the recipients of their second annual research award, Frontotemporal Dementia Drug Discovery Program. The goal of the program is to accelerate the development of novel therapies for frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

The ADDF/AFTD program awarded $300,000 to three academic scientists on the cutting edge of research for FTD. The award winners are: Adam Boxer, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco; Gabriella Chiosis, PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; and Virginia Lee, PhD, University of Pennsylvania. An independent panel of 13 experts from ADDF's Scientific Review Board and AFTD's Medical Advisory Council evaluated 21 applications submitted from the USA, Australia, Israel, and Italy. The program will provide a total of $900,000 in research grants over three years.

"The awards target research programs with the potential to accelerate drug discovery for FTD," said Howard Fillit, MD, ADDF Executive Director. "Our partnership with AFTD enables us to make meaningful and measurable contributions to FTD research."

FTD is a devastating form of dementia characterized by profound changes in behavior, personality, language and movement. Indeed, it is the second most common cause of dementia under the age of 60 years, most frequently having its onset between the ages of 40 and 65. As with Alzheimer's disease, there are no drugs to treat, prevent or cure FTD.

"The current situation, in which our families receive a diagnosis of FTD with no viable options for treatment is just not acceptable," said Phil Lovett, AFTD Board member and Research Liaison. "We are proud to be working with ADDF and these gifted researchers to identify effective therapeutic options and create a more hopeful future for FTD patients."

About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)

ADDF 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 1,600 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 $35M to fund over 240 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs in academic centers and biotechnology companies in 12 countries. For more information, visit our website at www.alzdiscovery.org.

About the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia (AFTD)

The Association for Frontotemporal Dementias (AFTD) is a nationwide non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and fund research into finding the cause and cure for the frontotemporal dementias; to provide information, education, and support to persons diagnosed with frontotemporal dementias (FTD) and their families and caregivers; and to educate physicians and allied health professionals about FTD. In addition to providing funding for this drug discovery program, AFTD continues to fund basic and clinical research that is essential to improving our understanding of this relatively rare, but significant disease. For more information about AFTD, visit www.ftd-picks.org.