Program

Access to the virtual sessions (lectures and short presentations) will require registration.

If you have registered before noon on October 1, 2021, you should have received instructions to access the virtual hub of our conference (check your spam folders, as well!).

You can access the virtual hub of the conference with the email address used to register for the event. If you have accessed our meetings of last year, you should connect with the password you set at that time. If, however, you do not remember that password or are logging in for the first time, simply click on “Forgot password” and then look for an email from us with instructions (once more, please check your spam box).

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

Monday, October 4, 2021 – all times in US Eastern Time

Session/Lecture

10:00 ET

Opening Remarks and ADDF Funding Opportunities

10:10

KEYNOTE: Recommendations for Exploratory Trials in Dementia

10:40

SESSION 1: CLINICAL TRIALS AND NOVEL APPROACHES FOR DEMENTIA

10:40

Session Overview

10:45

OGA Inhibitors as Multimodal Drugs for Intracellular Proteinopathies

11:00

Development of BDNF Receptor Modulators Targeting Amyloid- and Tau-related Degenerative Mechanisms

11:15

Phase 1 Studies and Preparation of Clinical Phase 2 IND of MW150: Novel Stress Kinase Inhibitor Candidate

11:30

Strategies for Delivering Therapeutics across the Blood Brain Barrier

11:45

Panel Discussion

11:55

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

12:30

START-UP FORUM

12:30

Investing in Dementia: Trends and Forward Outlook

12:40

Start-up presentations selected from submitted work

13:00

KEYNOTE: Clinical Validation for Plasma AB42/AB40 as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

13:30

SESSION 2: ADVANCES IN FLUID BIOMARKERS

13:30

Session Overview

13:35

Brain-specific Tau in Blood as an Alzheimer’s Diagnostic

13:50

Misfolded Alpha-synuclein Aggregates in CSF as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Dementia

14:05

Plasma Pathologic TDP-43 as a Biomarker for FTLD-TDP

14:20

Blood-based Immune Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Its Early Detection

14:35

Panel Discussion

14:45

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

15:00

SESSION 3: DRUG DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES FOR FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA

15:00

Session Overview

15:05

Dopaminergic Therapy for Frontotemporal Dementia Patients

15:20

Development of a PIKFYVE Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) Treatment for FTD

15:35

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of CT-526 in the Tauopathy Mouse Model

15:50

Panel Discussion

16:00

End of Day 1

Chair/Speaker

10:00 ET

Howard Fillit, MD - Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

10:10

Jeffrey Cummings, MD, DSc - University of Las Vegas

10:40

SESSION 1: CLINICAL TRIALS AND NOVEL APPROACHES FOR DEMENTIA

10:40

Chair: Alessio Travaglia, PhD - Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

10:45

Dirk Beher, PhD, MS, Asceneuron

11:00

Frank Longo, MD - PharmaTrophiX

11:15

Ottavio Arancio, MD, PhD - Columbia University/Neurokine

11:30

Georg Terstappen, PhD - Cambrian Biopharma

11:45

Chair and Presenters

11:55

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

12:30

START-UP FORUM

12:30

Chair: Tracy Saxton, PhD - Dolby Family Ventures

12:40

Start-up presentations selected from submitted work

13:00

Kevin Yarasheski, PhD - C2N Diagnostics

13:30

SESSION 2: ADVANCES IN FLUID BIOMARKERS

13:30

Chair: Shobha Purushothama, PhD - Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

13:35

Kaj Blennow, MD, PhD - University of Gothenburg

13:50

Russell Lebovitz, MD, PhD - Amprion

14:05

Qinwen Mao, MD, PhD - University of Utah

14:20

Thomas Montine, MD, PhD - Stanford University

14:35

Chair and Presenters

14:45

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

15:00

SESSION 3: DRUG DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES FOR FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA

15:00

Chair: Penny Dacks, PhD - AFTD

15:05

Giacomo Koch, MD, PhD - Santa Lucia Foundation

15:20

Wen-Hsuan Chang, PhD - Acurastem

15:35

Kent Werner, MD, PhD - Cogentis Therapeutics

15:50

Chair and Presenters

16:00

End of Day 1

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 – all times in US Eastern Time

Session/Lecture

10:00 ET

KEYNOTE: The Evolving Role of Biomarkers in Clinical Trials

10:30

SESSION 4: CLINICAL TRIALS 2--REPURPOSING APPROACHES FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

10:30

Session Overview

10:35

Effect of Candesartan on Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Biomarkers

10:50

Repurposing Metformin for Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

11:05

Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Feasibility of Senolytic Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease

11:20

Panel Discussion

11:30

START-UP FORUM

11:30

Start-up presentations selected from submitted work

11:50

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

12:15

SESSION 5: DIGITAL BIOMARKERS FOR DEMENTIA

12:15

Session Overview

12:20

Fixational Eye Motion as a Biomarker for Mild Cognitive Impairment

12:35

Speech and Language as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease

12:50

Alzheimer’s Disease Digital Biomarker Discovery: From Concept to Research Implementation

13:05

Panel Discussion

13:15

Building Equity in Alzheimer’s Research
The lack of representation of underserved and underrepresented communities in brain health research is an urgent issue for researchers, policymakers, health providers and patient advocates. Despite a higher risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, Black and Latino Americans are woefully underrepresented in federally and industry funded research, limiting the generalizability of research findings and limiting access to cutting-edge research. This session will highlight the health equity challenges behind the status quo and review concrete strategies for driving research equity in neuroscience research.

13:45

Concluding Remarks

14:00

POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

16:00

End of Conferece

Chair/Speaker

10:00 ET

Mark Mintun, MD - Avid Pharmaceuticals/Eli Lilly & Co.

10:30

SESSION 4: CLINICAL TRIALS 2--REPURPOSING APPROACHES FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

10:30

CHAIR: Jonathan Sabbagh, PhD - Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

10:35

Ihab Hajjar, MD - Emory University

10:50

Miia Kivipelto, MD, PhD - Karolinska Institute

11:05

Miranda Orr, PhD - Wake Forest University

11:20

Chair and Panelists

11:30

START-UP FORUM

11:30

Start-up presentations selected from submitted work

11:50

BREAK, POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

12:15

SESSION 5: DIGITAL BIOMARKERS FOR DEMENTIA

12:15

CHAIR: Kristina Malzbender, MPH - Gates Ventures

12:20

Christy Sheehy, PhD - C. Light Technologies, Inc

12:35

Lampros Kourtis, PhD - Circadic

12:50

Rhoda Au, PhD - Boston University

13:05

Chair and Panelists

13:15

Moderator:
Jason Resendez, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Center for Brain Health Equity

Panelists:
Gladys Maestre, MD, PhD, Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (AD-RCMAR), University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
Stephanie Monroe, USAgainstAlzheimer's

13:45

14:00

POSTERS, START-UP FORUM

16:00

End of Conferece

REGISTRATION IS FREE!

Register now!

PROGRAM DETAILS

CONFERENCE INTRODUCTION

Monday, October 4, 2021
10:00 US Eastern Time

Howard Fillit
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

Dr. Howard Fillit is ADDF’s Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer. His introduction will provide a welcome to our 22nd International Conference on Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery, a brief update on ADDF’s recent progress and will highlight the framework for this year’s meeting.

KEYNOTES

Jeffrey Cummings
UNLV

Kevin Yarasheski
C2N Diagnostics

Mark Mintun
Eli Lilly & Co., Inc.

Recommendations for Exploratory Trials in Dementia

Clinical Validation for Plasma AB42/AB40 as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

The Evolving Role of Biomarkers in Clinical Trials

Monday, October 4, 2021
10:10 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
13:00 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
10:00 US Eastern Time

SESSIONS

SESSION I: CLINICAL TRIALS AND NOVEL APPROACHES FOR DEMENTIA

Alessio Travaglia
ADDF

CHAIR
Session Overview

Dirk Beher
Asceneuron

OGA Inhibitors as Multimodal Drugs for Intracellular Proteinopathies

Frank Longo
PharmaTrophiX

Development of BDNF Receptor Modulators Targeting Amyloid- and Tau-related Degenerative Mechanisms

Ottavio Arancio
Neurokine

Phase 1 Studies and Preparation of Clinical Phase 2 IND of MW150: Novel Stress Kinase Inhibitor Candidate

Georg Terstappen
Cambrian Biopharma

Strategies for Delivering Therapeutics across the Blood Brain Barrier

Monday, October 4, 2021
10:40 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
10:45 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
11:00 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
11:15 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
11:30 US Eastern Time

PANEL DISCUSSION – SESSION I

Monday, October 4, 2021
11:45 – 11:55 US Eastern Time

POSTER SESSION/BREAK

This session will feature research from early investigators in the academic community focused on drug development for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Monday, October 4, 2021
11:55 – 12:30 US Eastern Time

START-UP FORUM

This session will feature drug development programs being pursued by start-up companies.

Tracy Saxton
Dolby Family Ventures

CHAIR
Investing in Dementia: Trends and Forward Outlook

Monday, October 4, 2021
12:30 – 13:00 US Eastern Time

SESSION II: ADVANCES IN FLUID BIOMARKERS

Shobha Purushothama
ADDF

CHAIR
Session Overview

Kaj Blennow
Univ. of Gothenburg

Brain-specific Tau in Blood as an Alzheimer’s Diagnostic

Russell Lebovitz
Amprion

Benfotiamine in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study

Qinwen Mao
University of Utah

Plasma Pathologic TDP-43 as a Biomarker for FTLD-TDP

Thomas Montine
Stanford University

Blood-based Immune Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Its Early Detection

Monday, October 4, 2021
13:30 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
13:35 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
13:50 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
14:05 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
14:20 US Eastern Time

PANEL DISCUSSION – SESSION II

Monday, October 4, 2021
14:20 – 14:30 US Eastern Time

POSTER SESSION/BREAK

Monday, October 4, 2021
14:45 – 15:00 US Eastern Time

SESSION III: DRUG DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES FOR FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA

Penny Dacks
AFTD

CHAIR
Session Overview

Giacomo Koch
Santa Lucia Foundation

Dopaminergic Therapy for Frontotemporal Dementia Patients

Wen-Hsuan Chang
Acurastem

Development of a PIKFYVE Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) Treatment for FTD

Kent Werner
Cogentis Therapeutics

APOE4 Leads to Breakdown in the Blood-brain Barrier Predicting Cognitive Decline

Monday, October 4, 2021
15:00 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
15:20 US Eastern Time

Monday, October 4, 2021
15:35 US Eastern Time

PANEL DISCUSSION – SESSION III

Monday, October 4, 2021
15:50 – 16:00 US Eastern Time

SESSION IV: CLINICAL TRIALS 2–REPURPOSING APPROACHES FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Jonathan Sabbagh
ADDF

CHAIR
Session Overview

Ihab Hajjar
Emory University

Novel Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Alpha1A-Adrenergic Receptor to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

Miia Kivipelto
Karolinska Institute

Repurposing Metformin for Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

Miranda Orr
Wake Forest University

Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Feasibility of Senolytic Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
10:30 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
10:35 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
10:50 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
11:05 US Eastern Time

PANEL DISCUSSION – SESSION IV

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
11:20 – 11:30 US Eastern Time

START-UP FORUM

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
11:30 – 11:50 US Eastern Time

POSTER SESSION/BREAK

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
11:50 – 12:15 US Eastern Time

SESSION V: DIGITAL BIOMARKERS FOR DEMENTIA

Kristina Malzbender
Gates Ventures

CHAIR
Session Overview

Christy Sheehy
C. Light Technologies, Inc

Fixational Eye Motion as a Biomarker for Mild Cognitive Impairment

Lampros Kourtis
Circadic

Speech and Language as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s

Rhoda Au
Boston University

Disease Digital Biomarker Discovery: From Concept to Research ImplementationSpeech and Language as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s

Tuesday, October 4, 2021
12:15 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 4, 2021
12:20 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
12:35 US Eastern Time

Tuesday, October 4, 2021
12:50 US Eastern Time

PANEL DISCUSSION – SESSION V

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
13:05 – 13:15 US Eastern Time

SPECIAL SESSION: BUILDING EQUITY IN ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
13:15 – 13:45 US Eastern Time

Jason Resendez
USAgainstAlzheimer’s

MODERATOR

Gladys Maestre
UTRGV

Stephanie Monroe
USAgainstAlzheimer’s

CONCLUSIONS

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
13:45 – 14:00 US Eastern Time

NETWORKING/POSTERS

Tuesday, October 6, 2020
14:00 – 16:00 US Eastern Time

REGISTER NOW!