Daniel M.
Skovronsky, MD, PhD, of Eli Lilly & Company, Receives
Prestigious 2025 Melvin R. Goodes Prize, Nobel Prize of Alzheimer's
Research
Goodes Prize Winners Declare Future of
Alzheimer's Treatment Will Rest on Combination Therapies and
Precision Medicine
NEW
YORK and PALM BEACH,
Fla., March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) marked its Inaugural
ADDF Scientific Summit in a momentous celebration of Alzheimer's
science which brought together the most innovative and respected
researchers in the field. The event, held on March 5th, featured the presentation
of the esteemed Melvin R. Goodes Prize to Dr. Daniel M. Skovronsky, Chief Scientific Officer,
Lilly, and President, Lilly Research Labs, and an address from Dr.
Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical
Correspondent, bestselling author, and practicing neurosurgeon.
The Summit convened eight of the ten previous winners of the
esteemed Goodes Prize for a symposium moderated by Dr. Niranjan Bose, Managing Director for Health
& Life Sciences at Gates Ventures, spotlighting the
cutting-edge advancements driving Alzheimer's therapeutics,
biomarkers, and prevention, as well as the promising future of the
field. These world-renowned scientists have each contributed novel
ideas based around the biology of aging that are helping to
revolutionize research. They, along with the ADDF, are leading and
shaping the Alzheimer's field, propelling us toward combination
therapies and precision medicine, the same strategy that has proven
successful in cancer treatment.
"It has been truly incredible to witness the pace of
breakthroughs in Alzheimer's research over the past few years,"
said Dr. Howard Fillit, Co-Founder
and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF. "Our trailblazing Goodes
Prize recipients are catalyzing innovations that will enable us to
tailor treatment approaches based on patients' individual biomarker
profiles and combine drugs that target the specific causes of their
disease. We are driving the next generation of care, which will use
novel drugs targeting the underlying disease biology in tandem with
current treatments to change the course of Alzheimer's."
The Goodes Prize, recognized as the Nobel Prize of Alzheimer's
research, is presented annually to a pioneering scientist to mark
exceptional contributions to the Alzheimer's field. Skovronsky was
recognized for his visionary work to develop critical diagnostic
tests for Alzheimer's and for his leadership in developing and
commercializing Kisunla, one of the first disease-modifying
therapies for Alzheimer's patients. The game-changing diagnostics
developed with Skovronsky's help include the Amyvid PET scan, the
first FDA-approved diagnostic test for Alzheimer's which was
developed with seed funding from the ADDF; the Tauvid PET scan, the
first and only FDA-approved diagnostic for Tau in the brain; and a
blood biomarker test for p-tau217 for the early diagnosis of
Alzheimer's disease.
"It is a profound honor to accept the 2025 Melvin R. Goodes
Prize," said Skovronsky. "This recognition is a testament to the
hard work and dedication of more than 35 years of Alzheimer's
disease research to fight against this terrible disease. This award
celebrates the power of collaboration and the unwavering commitment
of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. Together, we can and
will make history and change the world for patients
everywhere."
Skovronsky's work has been critical to the approvals of the
first class of amyloid-targeting drugs for Alzheimer's, which offer
patients options to delay disease progression for the first time
and have set the foundation for the future of Alzheimer's
therapies. As the next wave of therapeutics aimed at novel targets
continues to advance, they can be combined with these anti-amyloids
to increase efficacy and stop the disease in its tracks.
"Six months ago, the ADDF celebrated the tenth anniversary of
the Goodes Prize in Stockholm's
City Hall, which is synonymous with the Nobel Prize. Now at our
Inaugural ADDF Scientific Summit, we are once again highlighting
the innovators driving progress in Alzheimer's on a global stage,"
said Ronald Lauder, Co-Founder and
Co-Chairman of the ADDF. "Listening to our Goodes Prize scientists,
it's amazing to hear how much progress has been made since my
brother and I founded the ADDF in 1998 and to see the ADDF's
fingerprints on the advancements we now take for granted – new
drugs, new tests, and new prevention methods."
Preceding the symposium, featured speaker Dr. Sanjay Gupta presented an address, highlighting
the many reasons for hope as Alzheimer's science continues to make
huge strides toward the next generation of treatments and
prevention strategies. Gupta has earned multiple Emmy and Peabody
awards for his health reporting and recently explored his own
family history with Alzheimer's disease through filming a
documentary, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: The Last Alzheimer's
Patient, which aired this past summer on CNN.
"It was an honor to be a part of the ADDF's inaugural event
celebrating its work for Alzheimer's patients," said Gupta. "We
used to think about heart disease the way we thought about brain
disease just a few years ago, as hopeless. But now that has
changed. We can prevent heart disease, and thanks to exciting
strides in how we treat and diagnose Alzheimer's, we will soon be
able to prevent neurodegenerative diseases too. I am excited and I
am optimistic about the future of Alzheimer's."
About The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
(ADDF)
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery
Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of
drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is
the only public charity solely focused on funding the development
of drugs for Alzheimer's, employing a venture philanthropy model to
support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF's
leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal
role in bringing the first Alzheimer's PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood
test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current
robust and diverse drug pipeline. Through the generosity of its
donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $370
million to fund 765 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs,
biomarker programs and clinical trials in 21 countries. To
learn more, please visit: http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.
Media Contact:
Emily
Berkowitz, Senior Director of Communications, ADDF
eberkowitz@alzdiscovery.org
617-894-3540
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SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
