The AD/PD™ Podcast: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Moonshots and Milestones: Is the Future of Neurodegeneration Drug Discovery in Startups, Big Pharma, or Academia? AD/PD™ Session Spotlight

In this episode, we will cover the Fireside Debate "Moonshots and Milestones: Is the Future of Neurodegeneration Drug Discovery in Startups, Big Pharma, or Academia?" that took place on March 17, 2026 at the AD/PD™ 2026 International Conference. The debate was moderated by Dr. Henrietta Nielsen (Sweden) and Prof. Philip Scheltens (Netherlands), with expert contributions from Dr. Geoffrey Kerchner (Switzerland), Prof. Cynthia Lemere (USA), Dr. Mark Mintun (USA), Dr. Marco Prado (Canada), and Prof. Niranjan Bose (USA). Key highlights from this session include: • The field has moved from repeated uncertainty to cautious optimism, anchored by disease-modifying anti-amyloid therapies that demonstrably slow Alzheimer's progression • Acceptance of biological heterogeneity in dementia, and how biomarker-driven stratification has reshaped diagnosis and trial design • The persistent gap between biomarker change and clinically meaningful outcomes, with cognition, function and independence remaining the endpoints that matter most • Blood-based biomarkers as potentially transformative for moving diagnosis beyond specialist centers into neurology clinics and primary care • Complementary views on the field's bottlenecks — surrogate endpoints and recruitment for industry, funding and slow translation for academia, outdated cognitive tools, and fragmented data infrastructure • The growing role of AI, multimodal data and data harmonization, alongside recognition that neurodegeneration still lags other fields in deploying AI • Strong support for combination therapy, with anti-amyloid treatment as an anchor and tau-directed or anti-inflammatory strategies layered on top • A closing consensus on the ideal ecosystem: openness, cross-sector collaboration, data sharing, smarter enrollment, sustained patient engagement, and support for early-career investigators The panel conveyed that disease modification is now real but still modest, that blood-based biomarkers are poised to reshape diagnostic and treatment pathways, and that future progress will depend on combination approaches, better surrogate markers, and coordinated collaboration across the neurodegeneration ecosystem. Encouragingly, participants agreed the next breakthrough should not take another 25 years — the field now has working therapies, sharper tools, and better biological resolution than ever before. This episode is particularly relevant for neurologists, clinical trialists, translational scientists, biotech and pharma professionals, academic researchers, data and AI experts, and patient advocacy leaders working across the neurodegenerative disease landscape. This podcast was created using AI to provide a concise and insightful summary of an AD/PD™ 2026 session. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, listeners are encouraged to consult official conference materials for detailed information. The AD/PD™ 2026 International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and related neurological disorders took place March 17–21, 2026, in Copenhagen, Denmark. 🔗 https://adpd.kenes.com

Drug Development & Biomarkers in Rare CNS Diseases, AD/PD™ Session Spotlight

In this episode, we spotlight Forum Discussion 08 from the AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference — “Drug Development & Biomarkers in Rare CNS Diseases (ALS, FTD) from Basics to Approval – How to Define Success.” The discussion was moderated by Prof. Angela Genge (Canada) and Prof. Laura Ranum (USA), with expert contributions from Dr. Francesca Cignarella (USA), Prof. Guy Rouleau (Canada), Dr. Toby Ferguson (USA), and Prof. Patrick Weydt (Germany). Key highlights from this session include: • Advances in drug development for rare neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) • Lessons learned from antisense oligonucleotide therapies, including SOD1-targeting approaches that have shown meaningful clinical impact in ALS • The growing importance of genetic stratification, enabling earlier and more targeted intervention in both symptomatic and presymptomatic individuals • How insights from related disorders, such as Huntington’s disease, are informing biomarker development, including the interpretation of neurofilament signals • The critical role of biomarkers in guiding clinical trials, measuring disease-relevant outcomes, and accelerating regulatory approval • The power of public–private partnerships, exemplified by initiatives such as the ALS Accelerating Medicines Partnership • The need for data sharing, collaboration, and patient involvement to overcome the challenges inherent in rare disease research • New infrastructure efforts, including the upcoming ALS Knowledge Platform, aimed at integrating data across studies to drive discovery The panel emphasized that success in rare CNS disease research requires not only scientific innovation, but also coordinated global collaboration, smarter trial design, and biomarkers that truly reflect disease biology. While challenges remain, the session conveyed strong optimism that genetics-driven approaches and shared data ecosystems will accelerate progress for ALS and FTD. This episode is particularly relevant for neurologists, translational researchers, clinical trialists, biotech and pharma professionals, patient advocacy leaders, and regulators working in rare neurodegenerative diseases. This podcast was created using AI to provide a concise and insightful summary of an AD/PD™ 2025 session. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, listeners are encouraged to consult official conference materials for detailed information. The AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and related neurological disorders took place April 1–5, 2025, in Vienna, Austria. 🔗 https://adpd.kenes.com

Challenges and Opportunities for Anti-Tau Therapies: Turning Hope Into Clinical Progress, AD/PD™ Session Spotlight

In this episode, we highlight Forum Discussion 07 from the AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference — “Challenges and Opportunities for Anti-Tau Therapies in Clinical Trials – How Can We Make Hopes Come True?” The session was moderated by Prof. Manfred Windisch (Austria) and Prof. Luc Buée (France), featuring expert insights from Prof. Virginia Lee (USA), Dr. Toby Ferguson (USA), Dr. Larisa Reyderman (USA), Dr. Szofia Bullain (Switzerland), and Dr. Adam Fleisher (USA). Key themes explored in this discussion include: • The scientific and clinical complexities of targeting tau pathology across the continuum of Alzheimer’s disease • The importance of early therapeutic intervention and matching treatment modalities—immunotherapies, RNA-based approaches, small molecules—to the stage of tau progression • Longstanding and emerging perspectives on tau biology, including:– The structural insights into tau filament formation,– The implications of core tau domains, and– The relevance of astrocytic markers such as GFAP • Industry and academic collaboration on next-generation programs, including Biogen’s E2814 and other early-phase anti-tau candidates • The ethical and scientific challenges of selecting the right patient populations, especially as precision medicine reshapes clinical trial expectations • The need for robust biomarkers to define tau-driven pathology, enable better staging, and support development of more targeted and effective therapies • Recognition that Alzheimer’s is often a multi-pathology disease, requiring treatment approaches capable of addressing interacting pathways, not only tau • The importance of broad, well-designed clinical trials to clarify which interventions work best—and for whom The session concluded on a note of cautious optimism: while anti-tau therapy remains one of the field’s greatest challenges, rapid progress in molecular understanding, biomarker development, and precision medicine is accelerating the path toward meaningful clinical breakthroughs. This episode is ideal for scientists, clinicians, drug developers, and anyone closely following the evolving landscape of tau-targeted therapies and Alzheimer’s disease research. This podcast was created using AI to provide a quick and insightful summary of an AD/PD™ 2025 session. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, listeners are encouraged to refer to original conference materials and recordings for detailed information. The AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and related neurological disorders, took place on April 1-5, 2025, in Vienna Austria. https://adpd.kenes.com/

Therapy for AD, PD & LBD: Translational Models, Neuroinflammation, and Novel Therapeutic Targets, AD/PD™ Session Spotlight

In this episode, we spotlight Forum Discussion 06 from the AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference — “Therapy for AD, PD & LBD: Novel Translational Models, New Receptor- and Neuroinflammation-Based Targets – How Close Are We to Success?” The session was moderated by Prof. Gabriel Gold (Switzerland) and Dr. Meg Smith (USA), with contributions from Dr. Pablo Sardi (USA), Prof. Michael Heneka (Luxembourg), Prof. Thomas Südhof (USA), Dr. Taylor Schmitz (Canada), Prof. Frank Longo (USA), and Dr. Cynthia Lemere (USA). Key highlights include: • The ongoing challenge of translating preclinical success into human trials, and the limitations of current animal models • Efforts to develop more human-relevant models, such as those from the NIH-funded Model AD and Marmoset AD initiatives • The potential of cross-species omics approaches to improve understanding between mouse and human biology • Advances in in vitro and organoid models, offering new opportunities to study human-specific neuronal and synaptic functions • The role of AI and data integration in accelerating drug discovery and identifying novel therapeutic pathways • Exploration of pathology spread in Alzheimer’s disease, an area poorly represented in traditional models • Discussion of non-human primate models, highlighting both their translational promise and ethical considerations • The emergence of neuroinflammation, receptor-based mechanisms, and systemic factors as key therapeutic targets • Recognition of resilience mechanisms and sex differences in disease progression and response to treatment This discussion offers a deep dive into the evolving landscape of translational neuroscience, where technology, biology, and innovation intersect to drive new therapeutic possibilities. Ideal for researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals working in neurodegenerative disease modeling, drug discovery, and translational medicine. This podcast was created using AI to provide a quick and insightful summary of an AD/PD™ 2025 session. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, listeners are encouraged to refer to original conference materials and recordings for detailed information. The AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and related neurological disorders, took place on April 1-5, 2025, in Vienna Austria. https://adpd.kenes.com/

Pivotal Points in Prevention Trials and the New Era of Precision Medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease, AD/PD™ Session Spotlight

In this episode, we spotlight Plenary Lecture 06 from the AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference — “Pivotal Points in Prevention Trials and the New Era of Precision Medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.” The session was chaired by Prof. Gabriel Gold (Switzerland), with the lecture delivered by Prof. Miia Kivipelto (Sweden), an internationally recognized leader in dementia prevention research. Key highlights include: • Results from the landmark FINGER study and the global expansion through Worldwide FINGERS, now active in 70 countries• Evidence showing that delaying dementia onset by five years could cut cases by 50% worldwide • Insights into modifiable risk factors — lifestyle, vascular, metabolic, and environmental — and the importance of early intervention • Emerging studies, such as HAHA, which explores the role of hearing aids in preventing cognitive decline • Long-term cognitive, cardiovascular, and cost-effectiveness benefits of multi-domain prevention strategies • The potential of personalized and precision prevention, combining lifestyle interventions with pharmacological treatments like metformin • Ongoing work to harmonize global research, validate tools, and ensure effective implementation in clinical practice This episode is essential listening for clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of Alzheimer’s prevention, precision medicine, and brain health strategies at both individual and population levels. This podcast was created using AI to provide a quick and insightful summary of an AD/PD™ 2025 session. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, listeners are encouraged to refer to original conference materials and recordings for detailed information. The AD/PD™ 2025 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and related neurological disorders, took place on April 1-5, 2025, in Vienna Austria. https://adpd.kenes.com/