PRESS RELEASE

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing research with the highest potential to prevent, slow or reverse Alzheimer’s disease, has reached a significant milestone—20 years of supporting the field’s leading scientists to explore bold ideas and make game-changing discoveries.

Since its establishment in 2004, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CureAlz) has awarded $213 million in funding, distributed via 889 grants led by more than 300 scientists in 17 countries. More than 1,340 peer-reviewed papers by CureAlz funded researchers have been published in the most prestigious scientific journals, and these have been cited 115,410 times. Many of these projects have produced significant breakthroughs, resulting in findings that have contributed to new and critical avenues for development of novel treatments. Some of the notable research contributions and organizational successes that have led to a better understanding of Alzheimer’s disease over the past 20 years include:

• The Alzheimer’s Genome Project™, the first large-scale, family-based study of the human genome specific to Alzheimer’s disease. The purpose of the project is to decode the genetic roots of Alzheimer’s disease and fuel the search for new treatments.
• Alzheimer’s in a Dish uses human cells to create 3D models of the brain environment that recapitulate three hallmark features of the disease: amyloid plaques, tau tangles and neuroinflammation. Alzheimer’s in a Dish speeds up drug testing, making it 10 times faster than traditional methods and far more cost-effective.
• A unique consortium model employed by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund supports collaborative investigations within specific areas of foundational Alzheimer’s disease science. Research benefits from sharing data, knowledge and expertise. Our researchers work across different fields and institutions, forming strong partnerships that significantly enhance our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund supports five consortia: Alzheimer’s Disease Tau Consortium, Fleming APOE Consortium, Brain Entry & Exit Consortium, Microbiome Consortium and the Neuroimmune Consortium.
• Cure Alzheimer’s Fund research grants seed substantial additional follow-on funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for continued studies. Of $64 million in research grants provided by CureAlz to the science community from 2018 to 2021, the NIH awarded $497 million in additional funding, leverage of 7.7x. These grants were made possible by our generous donors.

“This milestone is truly a testament to our dedicated donor community. Without their generosity and commitment, we could not accelerate the science that is going to end the suffering and burden of this disease,” said Meg Smith, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund CEO. “Since 2004, CureAlz has identified and advanced the strongest new scientific theories with funding that empowers brilliant researchers to make real breakthroughs. We prioritize new, neglected and underfunded questions fundamental to stopping the onset and progression of this disease. Twenty years later, our resolve to follow the science to a cure has never been stronger.”