Drug Development RFP

The Drug Development RFP is Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's flagship therapeutics program and a core route under the foundation's mission-related investment model. It supports work on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, with a clear emphasis on translational drug development rather than broad basic science. The program sits inside ADDF's larger portfolio of drug, biomarker, and prevention funding. Awards can reach $5 million and are aimed at IND-enabling studies such as pharmacology, toxicology, and GMP manufacturing, as well as early-phase human studies including Phase 0, Phase 1, and biomarker-based proof-of-concept trials. The eligible set is broad, covering small molecules, peptides, antibodies, gene therapies, antisense oligonucleotides, stem cells, and devices. Funding is worldwide, direct costs only, and the structure can return equity, convertible notes, or royalties tied to scientific and business milestones. The program rewards teams that are ready to move a therapeutic idea toward human testing and that can explain why their mechanism matters now. Combination therapies, disease-modifying approaches, and mechanisms tied to aging biology fit especially well, while non-pharmacologic interventions, anti-amyloid proposals, and cholinesterase inhibitor programs are not considered. Clinical trials also need to clear registration requirements, so applicants succeed when the science, development plan, and regulatory path all line up cleanly.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.