Foundation For NIH Facilitated Partnership Announces Availability Of Alzheimer's Genome Biomarker Data

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 20 Mar 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the convener of a $60 million public-private partnership begun by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and supported by the NIH and the FDA along with more than 20 private-sector companies and organizations, announces the availability of genome biomarker data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) for scientists world-wide for further analysis. This ongoing, 6-year ADNI study is the most comprehensive effort focused on identifying brain and other biological changes associated with memory decline, and provides the most extensive and robust dataset of its kind related to Alzheimer's.

Increasingly, identification of new biomarkers is an essential element of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine: this ADNI study, aimed at developing a global database of factors to validate new biomarkers related to Alzheimer's, to accelerate the delivery of new technologies, medicines, and therapies for prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

"The foundation is pleased to have facilitated this collaborative effort between the public and private sectors that holds promise to unlock the complex relationship between genetic differences and Alzheimer's Disease," noted Dr. Charles A. Sanders, foundation Chairman.

Investigators may apply for access to this data through the ADNI database Web site at http://www.loni.ucla.edu/ADNI. Also see here.

This $60 million public-private collaboration coordinated by the foundation also includes: Abbott, AstraZeneca AB, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai Global Clinical Development, Elan Corporation, Genentech, GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Innogenetics, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Co., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Schering-Plough, Synarc Inc., and Wyeth. Non-profit partners are Alzheimer's Association and Institute for the Study of Aging. Additional funds secured by the foundation also includes an anonymous foundation, Gene Network Sciences (http://www.gnsbiotech.com), Merck and Co., Inc. (www.merck.com) and Pfizer Inc (http://www.pfizer.com), and in-kind support from the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease (http://www.ncrad.iu.edu) and Illumina (http://www.illumina.com).

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health was established by the US Congress to support the mission of the NIH - improving health through scientific discovery. The Foundation identifies and develops collaborative opportunities for innovative public-private partnerships involving industry, academia, and philanthropic community. A non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, the Foundation raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance NIH priorities and activities.

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health