Global neurodegenerative disease research advances through harmonized data from over 20 international cohorts
CANTON, Mich. (October 2, 2025) – MMS, a global, data-focused clinical research organization (CRO), is proud to announce its role in the creation and release of one of the world’s largest proteomic datasets for neurodegenerative disease research. In collaboration with Gates Ventures, Johnson & Johnson, AD Data Initiative, and the Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC), MMS supported data intake, harmonization, and anonymization of all samples spanning Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and Frontotemporal Dementia. The GNPC Harmonized Dataset is now publicly available via the AD Workbench, where it is described as one of the world's largest proteomic datasets for neurodegenerative disease, uniting 250 million unique protein measurements from 35,000 biosamples across more than 20 international cohorts.
MMS provided end-to-end data science support for this initiative, developing and deploying custom tools to streamline the harmonization of diverse proteomic and phenotypic datasets and automate the quality control process, maintaining rigorous privacy standards and scientific integrity throughout. These innovations will serve as the foundation for future large-scale data integration efforts in the public domain.
Following these initial 23 international cohorts, an upcoming expansion is set to include 13 additional cohorts to further extend the reach and value of this global dataset.
“We are honored to support this landmark initiative and are deeply appreciative of the trust that Gates Ventures, AD Data Initiative, and the GNPC have placed in MMS,” said Dr. Uma Sharma, CEO and Founder of MMS. “Their leadership in tackling the challenges of neurodegenerative conditions through open science and global collaboration is inspiring. MMS shares this commitment, and the mission is especially meaningful to our team—making this project a significant milestone. By applying our expertise in harmonizing and anonymizing complex datasets, we’re proud to have contributed to ensuring that this high-impact resource is now securely accessible to the global scientific community.”
The dataset is now live and publicly available
The GNPC HDS was accompanied by several peer-reviewed publications and commentaries in Nature Medicine, including a World View by Bill Gates, founder of Gates Ventures and co-founder of Microsoft. The international scientific community has praised the GNPC's work as a model for future global collaborations in biomedical research.
“Neurodegenerative diseases affect tens of millions globally, yet progress in treatment has been slowed by fragmented data and limited biomarker discovery. The GNPC Harmonized Dataset marks a major step forward in addressing these challenges by uniting proteomic data at scale,” said Dr. Farhad Imam, Director of Health and Life Sciences at Gates Ventures. “This was a technically ambitious effort, and MMS’ expertise and ability to execute on high volume and high complexity data harmonization made them instrumental in delivering this dataset and supporting positive patient impact globally.”
The GNPC welcomes additional data contributions from across the scientific community and continues to advance its mission to improve outcomes for patients with neurodegenerative conditions through shared knowledge and collaboration. The dataset is now publicly available to researchers and institutions working to advance the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Explore the live dataset at https://discover.alzheimersdata.org/catalogue/datasets/e2f3536b-d97b-4303-89bd-6864200807a4.
About MMS
MMS Holdings (MMS) is an award-winning, data-focused clinical research organization (CRO) that supports the pharmaceutical and biotech industries with a proven, scientific approach to complex trial data and regulatory submission challenges. Strong industry experience, a 19-year track record, AI technology-enabled services, and a data-driven approach to drug development make MMS a valuable CRO partner. With a global footprint across five continents, MMS maintains an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating.
For more information, visit www.mmsholdings.com.
About Gates Ventures
Gates Ventures is the private office of Bill Gates, which focuses on accelerating innovation in health, climate, and education. As part of its commitment to improving health outcomes globally, Gates Ventures supports collaborative initiatives that drive progress in areas such as diagnostics, data science, and neurodegenerative disease research. Learn more at https://www.gatesnotes.com/.
About AD Data Initiative
The Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative is a coalition of leading advocacy, government, industry, and philanthropy organizations that recognizes the need for dementia researchers to find easier ways to share data, analytical tools, and scientific findings. These partners are working together to accelerate progress towards new diagnostics, treatments, and cures for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative at www.alzheimersdata.org.
About the Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC)
The Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC), supported by Gates Ventures, brings together research institutions, data partners, and technology providers to advance proteomic research in Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and Frontotemporal Dementia. Through open science and public data sharing, GNPC accelerates progress in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Learn more at neuroproteome.org.
Media Contact
Don F. McLean, dmclean1@mmsholdings.com
