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2013 BIO International Convention to Host Alzheimer’s Forum

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Forum to confront issues and roadblocks to finding treatments and cures.</p>

Washington, DC (April 11, 2013) –According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in 2013, the disease will cost the nation $203 billion and this number is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion by 2050.  The Alzheimer’s Forum at the 2013 BIO International Convention will host panel discussions focused on early detection and prevention, the role federal agencies are playing to help accelerate the development of breakthrough treatments, and reviewing progress and identifying obstacles for current research.Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the Convention, celebrating its 20thanniversary, will take place April 22-25, 2013 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

 

“Lilly is pleased to sponsor the inaugural Alzheimer’s Forum to bring together key opinion leaders to discuss the most pressing challenges we face in advancing the state of Alzheimer’s care,” said Richard Mohs, Ph.D., early phase clinical development leader, neuroscience, Eli Lilly and Company. “We look forward to reflecting on where we are today and what is needed in order for us to address unmet needs for the millions of patients and caregivers impacted by this devastating disease.”

 

Forum agenda highlights include:

Demystifying Alzheimer’s Disease

Roughly 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia that often steals someone’s memory, cognition and personality. And this number is expected to triple by 2050. For years scientists have been slowly unraveling the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease and at least 80 medicines have been tested to target Alzheimer’s and its symptoms, but there has been no significant breakthrough to date. This session will provide an overview of Alzheimer’s – what it is, its prevalence, important milestones in scientific discovery, challenges to finding a cure, as well as the current and anticipated cost to the economy and society at large.

Wednesday, April 24, 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Moderated by Soeren Mattke, D.Sc., M.P.H., MD, Senior Scientist and Managing Director, RAND Health Advisory, RAND Corporation

Speakers: Gail Hunt, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance for Caregiving and Jeffrey Nye, MD, PhD, Vice President, Neuroscience Innovation and Scientific Partnership Strategy, Janssen Research and Development, LLC

 

National Alzheimer’s Planning

Recognizing the heavy burden of this disease, the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget request to Congress included $100 million to support Alzheimer’s research, public awareness and family caregiver support. This session will look at the role federal agencies, including NIH, FDA and CMS, are playing to help accelerate the development of breakthrough treatments to help prevent, stop or reverse the course of Alzheimer’s disease. Recent efforts will be highlighted, including the National Alzheimer’s plan, identification of targets emerging from the National Center for Advancing Translational Research, repurposing of compounds and access to and coverage for diagnostics, among other topics

Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Speakers: Howard Fillit, MD, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation; Dora Hughes, Senior Policy Advisor, Sidley Austin LP and Heather Snyder, PhD, Director, Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer’s Association

 

Looking to the Future: Where Do We Go from Here in Addressing Alzheimer’s

The search for a viable treatment for Alzheimer’s has been slow. Yet, more and more Americans are burdened by this memory-robbing disease that causes plaques and tangles to form in the brain. Experts say the best path forward is to adopt new models that focus on early detection and prevention to intervene before brain damage starts. But what do we do before creative models are in place to speed the development of new therapies? This session will feature several forward-thinking experts who will explore where we might go from here to tackle Alzheimer’s and solicit ideas from attendees.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Moderated by Diane Stephenson, Executive Director, Coalition Against Major Diseases, Critical Path Institute

Speakers: Richard C. Mohs, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Neuroscience and Medical Research, Eli Lilly and Company and George Vradenburg, Chairman and Co-Founder, USAgainst Alzheimer’s

 

BIO is pleased to recognize the leadership provided by Eli Lilly and Company for the 2013 Alzheimer’s Forum.

 

The BIO International Convention also features the industry's largest partnering event, hosting a record breaking 25,000+partnering meetings in 2012.  More than 4,000 companies participated in One-on-One Partnering meetings in the BIO Business Forum™ and in the BIO Exhibition. These efficient meetings foster the opportunity for companies to initiate business contacts in a friendly environment and schedule meetings prior to the Convention.

 

Advance media registration is now available for qualified reporters working full time for print, broadcast and web publications with valid press credentials. To register, please visit here.

 

Upcoming BIO Events 
 
April 22 – 25, 2013
Chicago, IL
 
June 16-19, 2013
Montreal, Canada
 
November 6-8, 2013
Washington, DC
 
December 8-11, 2013
San Diego, CA

 

 

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