Drug Development RFP

The Drug Development RFP aims to support investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies or the international equivalent, and early-phase clinical trials focusing on promising pharmacological interventions and devices for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. The grant emphasizes both disease-modifying and symptomatic agents while prioritizing a diversity of drug mechanisms and modes of action connected to the biology of aging and emerging therapeutic areas in dementia. Specifically, it excludes amyloid-targeted approaches and cholinesterase inhibitor proposals. The grant covers various development stages, including phase 0 to phase 2 trials, IND-enabling studies such as pharmacology, toxicology studies, and GMP manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) or drug product. It is inclined towards novel, repurposed, repositioned drugs, natural products, and devices across multiple therapeutic modalities but does not consider non-pharmacologic interventions like diet, exercise, or meditation. Proposals are encouraged to present a landscape analysis to identify competition regarding their mode or mechanism of action, with a strong preference for novel drug mechanisms related to aging biology and other pertinent areas. The grant can provide up to $5,000,000 based on the research's stage and scope, encouraging co-funding for studies requiring additional support, with a payment structure based on achieving milestones and recruitment.