The discovery of aducanumab for the potential treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
September 21st is World Alzheimer Day, a day to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the FDA approved a new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s but not all experts are convinced it will actually help patients.
Would you like to learn more about the latest research and what is on the horizon in terms of treatments for Alzheimer's?
Join us on October 27 for a public lecture by Roger M Nitsch, CEO of the Swiss company behind the new drug.
When and where?
Wed 27 October at 7 pm in Kinepolis Leuven (Bondgenotenlaan, 200m from the station)
By who?
Roger M Nitsch, CEO and president of Neurimmune, the company behind aducanumab
For whom?
Everyone is welcome. The lecture will be in English. Admission is free, but registration is required.
This lecture is supported by ‘Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek’, the Belgian Foundation for Alzheimer Research.
More information about the lecture
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that accounts for the majority of dementia cases worldwide. Aging is a significant risk factor. Coupled with the increase in average lifespan, this implies that Alzheimer's disease puts increasing pressure on our healthcare system.
“Unless we do something about it,” says Bart De Strooper, group leader at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain Research & director of the UK Dementia Research Institute. "Alzheimer's disease research is accelerating with exciting recent insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms. The taboo on Alzheimer’s is fading, and – finally – the field is getting more attention and more funding."
Not a day too soon, as Alzheimer’s has proved to be a hard nut to crack for molecular researchers and pharma companies. The disease turned out to be far more complex than initially suspected.
This year, for the first time in nearly two decades, the FDA approved a new Alzheimer’s drug: aducanumab, brand name Aduhelm, developed by the Swiss company NeurImmune. It is also the very first Alzheimer's drug that intervenes in the disease process.
The decision came as a surprise, as the FDA’s expert committee previously advised against approval. There is insufficient evidence, they claim, that aducanumab can actually help Alzheimer's patients.
So should we be optimistic or pessimistic? Join the public lecture by Roger M Nitsch, CEO of NeurImmune and developer of aducanumab, on the discovery and potential of the controversial drug.
He will be in Leuven for 'New Horizons in Alzheimer's Disease', an international conference organized by VIB where experts share their latest discoveries—with each other, but in this case also with a broader public of non-experts.
Who is Roger M Nitsch?
Roger M Nitsch serves as CEO & President of Neurimmune. A neuroscientist with a background in medicine, Roger is recognized as a key opinion leader in neurodegenerative diseases with more than 30 years of experience in Alzheimer’s disease research, and as a pioneer in the development of therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases. The Potamkin prize winner and Member of the German Academy of Sciences served as a founding director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of Zurich where he holds a part-time professorship teaching bio-entrepreneurship. Roger founded Neurimmune in 2006 together with Jan Grimm and Christoph Hock.
Keynote Lecture is part of the New Horizons in Alzheimer's Disease conference
Roger M Nitsch's keynote is part of the 2-day VIB Conference New Horizons in Alzheimer's Disease taking place on 27-28 October in the Promotiezaal in Leuven. The speaker line-up includes leading scientists in the Alzheimer's research field such as Henrik Zetterberg (Sweden), Maiken Nedergaard (US), Phlip L. De Jager (US), Beth Stevens (US), Christopher Glass (US), Inna Slutsky (Israel) and many more.
You can find out more on the conference website.
