The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s (ADDF) Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) initiative will provide up to $5 million in funding total for FTD biomarker development. These funds represent $2.5 million in support from AFTD, matched by $2.5 million allocation of the ADDF’s DxA funds.

The DxA was launched in July 2018 through funding commitments from philanthropists Bill Gates, ADDF co-founder Leonard A. Lauder and others, including the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Jeff Bezos, Mackenzie Scott, and AFTD.

Funding is available for either peripheral biomarkers or digital biomarkers as of November 2020. The DxA is part of the ADDF’s venture philanthropy strategy, an innovative model that gives it the flexibility to back promising cutting-edge research that may not have a guaranteed immediate commercial return. It will strike a balance between taking more risks than traditional venture capital funds and a focus on short-term development of products for the marketplace.

See the Grants Portfolio webpage for more information on FTD-focused projects funded through the Diagnostics Accelerator.

AFTD is proud to partner with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation on several initiatives to advance FTD diagnosis and treatment. Other ongoing initiatives include the Treat FTD Fund launched in 2016 to support clinical trials, and the Accelerating Drug Discovery for FTD program, launched in 2007 to support drug discovery programs.