World Neuroscience Innovation Forum to be Held at London’s Francis Crick Institute
Global leaders convene to map new paths to diagnose and treat
Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative diseases
that afflict one in six people
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Partners HealthCare, a Boston-based hospital system that includes
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and
whose faculty teach at Harvard Medical School, today announced the first
World Neuroscience Innovation Forum, which will bring together senior
corporate executives, top clinicians, venture investors, and leading
researchers from the U.S. and Europe to battle diseases that afflict one
in six people around the world. The Forum will take place at the Francis
Crick Institute in London on March 27, 2017.
“Neurodegenerative and related diseases are among the greatest
challenges confronting contemporary society and their enormous growth
represent a potential economic cataclysm. This global gathering of some
of the world’s top neuroscience leaders will catalyze new connections,
conversations and thinking around these unprecedented challenges,” said
Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., Vice-Chair of Neurology, Director of Genetics
and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Joseph P.
and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School.
The Forum will launch the Springboard Challenge, an award competition
that will seed new international, multi-sector neuroscience teams
dedicated to the development of disruptive approaches to improve
therapeutics and diagnostics to treat neurodegenerative (NDD) or
neuroinflammatory (NID) diseases. The Challenge will offer three awards
of $50,000 each and mentorship support from leading UK and US venture
capitalists. The awards are intended to fund team meetings, logistics,
and strategic planning efforts for the proposed solution. Collaborations
enabled by the awards will seek multi-year support from Forum industry
sponsors, governments, investors, foundations and other organizations.
Award selections will be made in the summer of 2017.
“Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases such as epilepsy, multiple
sclerosis and Parkinson’s afflict one in six people around the world and
a truly global effort is needed to combat them. The World Forum will
support and enhance that effort by inspiring the kind of interactions
and collaborations that can lead to life-changing products and
therapies,” said Anne Klibanski, M.D., Chief Academic Officer for
Partners HealthCare and the Forum’s organizer.
The Forum will feature highly interactive panel discussions on topics
ranging from investment priorities to therapies to the impact of
neurodegeneration on the health care system, as well as keynote sessions
with Biogen and Eli Lilly.
“The complexity of discovering treatment for neurodegenerative diseases
requires an innovative and collaborative approach in order to advance
the knowledge we have about these conditions,” said Michael Ehlers,
M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development, Biogen.
“Biogen is committed to researching and developing treatments for
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Through our support of events like the World Neuroscience Innovation
Forum, we hope to accelerate the discovery of new medicines for the
people who need them.”
“Lilly is committed to battling neurodegenerative diseases,” said John
C. Lechleiter, Chairman of the Board, Lilly. “The World Forum will be an
important milestone in the efforts to unravel the complexity of these
diseases and act on them to help millions of patients around the world.”
Sponsors of the Forum include Biogen, Lilly, GSK, Pfizer, the Francis
Crick Institute, the High Lantern Group, Imperial College Health
Partners, Janssen Neuroscience and MedCity.
For more information or to register, please go to http://neuroscienceinnovationforum.org/.
Partners HealthCare is a Boston-based integrated health system
founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General
Hospital. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the
Partners system includes community and specialty hospitals, a managed
care organization, community health centers, a physician network, home
health and long-term care services, and other health-related entities.
Partners is the largest academic research organization in the Unites
States and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners
HealthCare is a non-profit organization.
The Francis Crick Institute is a unique partnership between
the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL
(University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College
London.
Contacts
Partners HealthCare
Rich Copp, 617-278-1031
rcopp@partners.org
