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41 - Financing Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Development

from Section 7 - Funding and Financing Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2022

By
Jayna Cummings ,
Amanda Hu ,
Angela Su  and
Andrew W. Lo
Edited by
Jeffrey Cummings ,
Jefferson Kinney  and
Howard Fillit
Jeffrey Cummings
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Jefferson Kinney
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Howard Fillit
Affiliation:
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
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Summary

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the biggest challenges to modern medicine. However, before February 2021, the last AD drug approval occurred in 2003, implying a 100% failure rate of AD therapeutic programs over the 17 years to that point; the lowest probability of success among all diseases. One of the key challenges is funding, which we explore in more depth in this chapter by first reviewing the current funding landscape for AD, and then considering the strengths and weaknesses of various commercialization strategies. Despite the discouraging track record of the biopharma industry in addressing AD, there is reason to be hopeful due to substantial scientific progress in developing a deeper understanding of the biology of the disease as well as increased federal funding for AD research. However, we also we need the private sector to translate these scientific breakthroughs into new medicines, which takes additional funding and new business models so as to reduce risk and improve returns for investors. If we can change the narrative of AD therapeutics to give investors new hope, the private sector can serve as a powerful partner to the biomedical community.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s drug developmentbiotech VCnew funding modelstranslational medicineventure philanthropyhealthcare finance
Type
Chapter
Information
Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development
Research and Development Ecosystem
 , pp. 465 - 479
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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