Collaboration and Innovation in Alzheimer Disease Clinical Trial Research: Howard Fillit, MD

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

"Collaboration is going to be critical because some of the new drugs [that] are coming out of small biotechs, academia, or repurposed drugs [are] being tried again for Alzheimer disease."

At the 2024 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference, held October 29 to November 1, in Madrid, Spain, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) hosted a roundtable titled “Advancing Combination Therapy: Discussion on Key Considerations, Perspectives, and Promising Avenues for the Future of Alzheimer’s Treatments.” Moderated by Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, the session featured Howard Fillit, MD, and a panel of experts representing industry, academia, and clinical research.^1,2

The discussion built upon recommendations from an expert advisory board convened by ADDF earlier this year, focusing on strategies to optimize and accelerate combination therapy in AD clinical trials. During the conference, Fillit also chaired the session “Emerging Solutions: Novel Approaches to Treating Alzheimer’s Disease,” which showcased innovative therapeutic approaches targeting aging-related pathologies that contribute to Alzheimer progression.

At the conference, Fillit, the cofounder and chief science officer at the ADDF, sat down with NeurologyLive^® to discuss how collaboration among academia, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies could be optimized to address the operational and regulatory complexities of AD clinical trials. He also shared his perspective on the role of emerging biomarkers and blood tests in potentially transforming the early diagnosis and treatment pathways for the disease. Furthermore, Fillit spoke about the key challenges and opportunities in developing combination therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like AD.

Click here for more coverage of CTAD 2024.

REFERENCES
1. Fillit H, et al. Advancing Combination Therapy: A Roundtable Discussion on Key Considerations, Perspectives, and Promising Avenues for the Future of Alzheimer’s Treatments. Presented at: 2024 CTAD; October 29-November 1; Madrid, Spain. RT1.
2. New Considerations for Accelerating Combination Therapy Trials to Be Showcased at 2024 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference. News Release. Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Published October 7, 2024. Accessed October 30, 2024. https://www.alzdiscovery.org/news-room/announcements/new-considerations-for-accelerating-combination-therapy-trials-to-be-showcased-at-2024-clinical-trials-on-alzheimers-disease-conference