Accelerating Drug Discovery for FTD RFP

Accelerating Drug Discovery for FTD RFP

Funds lead optimization and in vivo testing for frontotemporal dementia candidates, including medicinal chemistry and preclinical studies.

Eligibility · Global — open worldwide

Accelerating Drug Discovery for FTD is a joint RFP from the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), targeting the lead optimization and in vivo testing stages of small molecule and biologic drug development for frontotemporal dementia. FTD — encompassing disorders caused by TDP-43, tau, FUS, and related pathologies — affects approximately 50,000 to 60,000 Americans and has no approved disease-modifying therapy. The program funds medicinal chemistry refinement and in vitro ADME work for small molecules as well as in vivo testing of biologics, antibodies, oligonucleotides, peptides, gene therapies, vaccines, and repurposed drug candidates. Target identification, validation, assay development, and screening are explicitly excluded from scope.

The average award is approximately $300,000 for a one-year project, with potential for follow-on funding based on milestone achievements. Eligible applicants worldwide include academic medical centers, universities, nonprofits, and biotechnology companies; industry partnerships are encouraged, and biotech companies must demonstrate a clear need for nonprofit funding. ADDF's venture-philanthropy model applies: recipients negotiate ROI terms in the form of equity, convertible notes, or royalties. Priority drug targets named by the program include autophagy, epigenetics, genetic causes (C9ORF72, MAPT, GRN), inflammation, TDP-43, tau, FUS misfolding, proteostasis, RNA metabolism and splicing, and synaptic activity.

For the 2026 cycle, the Letter of Intent deadline has already passed; invited full proposals are due July 20, 2026. Applications are submitted through addf.fluxx.io. Program contacts are Nicole Bjorklund, PhD at AFTD and Aaron Burstein, PharmD at ADDF. Only teams that received an LOI invitation should proceed with a full submission for this cycle.