Founded in 1998 by co-chairmen Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is the only charity solely focused on finding drugs for Alzheimer's. 

OUR FUNDING MODEL

We follow a venture philanthropy model, funding breakthrough research in academia and the biotech industry. Through the tremendous support of our donors, the ADDF has awarded nearly $250 million to fund over 720 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 19 countries. Twenty percent of the drugs in clinical development for Alzheimer's disease received support from the ADDF.

OUR STRATEGY

The ADDF focuses on translating the knowledge we have gained about the causes of Alzheimer's disease into drugs to conquer it. We support an underfunded area—preclinical drug discovery and early-stage clinical trials of potential drug targets—that is often called the "valley of death" because it's where good ideas go to die. These projects hold great promise, but also great risk. And most are not far enough along in the drug development pipeline to attract financial support from the pharmaceutical industry, federal funders, or other major partners. By assuming the risk and bridging this critical gap in funding, the ADDF enables leading scientists to pursue pioneering ideas to cure Alzheimer's disease that would otherwise go unexplored.

OUR FUTURE

Today, Alzheimer's disease affects more than 50 million people and is the only top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. But we have the power to stop this devastating disease in its tracks. By advancing the most promising research across the globe, we will conquer Alzheimer's disease.