An announcement has been made by the Global Alzheimer's Platform (GAP) and the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) that they are going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with an aim to speed up Alzheimer's drug development.

Alzheimer's drug development will be accelerated by building a global, standing, trial-ready platform for Alzheimer's drug development. The effort shows an important promise to come and work together to employ patients for clinical trials, to make a high-performing clinical trial system and to develop a standing adaptive protocol. This will help test new molecules rapidly and move those with assurance into later stage development.

George Vradenburg, convener of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's disease, said that this collaboration shows a significant promise from major steps in Europe and the US to increase and enhance capability to carry out trials in Alzheimer's so that new medicines can be brought faster to patients.

"Through our collaborative efforts here in the U. S., organized through GAP, and with these consortia in Europe, we believe we can begin to design a truly global clinical trial system of speed, power, and efficiency", added Vradenburg.

The Global CEO Initiative (CEOi) is in advanced progress with leadership and initial funding from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Takeda, and The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund. Janssen Pharmaceuticals is the drug development division of Johnson and Johnson.

GAP aims to set up a global standing, trial-ready platform and also wants to attain better efficiency and uniformity in trial populations. According to experts, this platform will allow the delivery of efficient and effective evidence of concept and confirmatory trials. Irene Norstedt, IMI Acting Executive Director, said that Alzheimer's disease is a global challenge and needs a global solution.