NEW YORK and WILMINGTON, Mass., July
12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Drug
Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is pleased to announce a collaboration
with Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL), a
leading provider of early-stage drug development products and
services, for the creation of a new research award program entitled
Use of Aged Rats as a Relevant Preclinical Model for the
Development of Therapies for Cognitive Aging and Alzheimer's
Disease. The program is made possible through a donation
from Charles River's Discovery
Services business and funds from the ADDF.
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The goal of the three-year initiative is to accelerate the
discovery of new drugs for cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease.
The program will fund preclinical studies focused on
proof-of-concept testing of novel compounds in aged rats.
Academic and biotechnology company scientists are invited to
apply to the program, which will provide funding of up to
$150,000 for one-year. The
deadline for submissions is October 5,
2011, and funding will be awarded in December 2011. Details about the program,
the award submission process and eligibility requirements are
available on the ADDF's website: www.alzdiscovery.org.
Charles River will participate in
the grant review process with the ADDF scientific staff and review
committee. Leveraging their respective expertise, this joint
committee will be able to provide expert advice on program design.
In addition, Charles River can
be selected to provide services including initial screening,
efficacy evaluation and optimization and biomarker development.
"We are grateful for Charles
River's commitment to advancing the discovery and
development of new treatments for cognitive aging and Alzheimer's
disease," said the ADDF's Executive Director Howard Fillit, M.D., who will lead this effort.
"Aging is the leading risk factor for Alzheimer's. By
accelerating research on the relationship between age-related
neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment through the use of aged
rats, we may uncover and validate novel targets for Alzheimer's
disease."
"Charles River's expertise in
neurodegenerative disease models and assays, coupled with the
ADDF's extensive knowledge of Alzheimer's disease, brings together
two scientific leaders with the potential to advance therapeutic
treatments for cognitive aging diseases," said Beth Hollister, Corporate Vice President,
Charles River Discovery Services. "We are pleased that the
ADDF selected Charles River as its
partner of choice for this critical research initiative."
About the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is the only
non-profit organization whose sole mission is to accelerate the
discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat and cure
Alzheimer's disease, related dementias and cognitive aging. Since
1998, the ADDF has granted more than $45
million to fund over 325 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs
in academic centers and biotechnology companies in 18 countries.
For more information about the Foundation, please visit
www.AlzDiscovery.org.
About Charles River
Accelerating Drug Development. Exactly. Charles River provides essential products and
services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies,
government agencies and leading academic institutions around the
globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our
approximately 7,500 employees worldwide are focused on providing
clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the
discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new
therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our
unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, such as statements using words including "will," "can" or
"may," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate
future events or trends, or that are not statements of historical
matters. These statements include statements regarding
additional services which Charles
River may provide. A description of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those stated or implied by the forward-looking statements may
be found in the Risk Factors detailed in Charles River's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as
filed on February 23, 2011, as well
as other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
CONTACTS:
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Media or General Inquires:
Filomena Machleder
212-901-8004
fmachleder@alzdiscovery.org
Charles River Laboratories
Investors:
Susan E. Hardy
Corporate Vice President, Investor Relations
781-222-6190
Susan.Hardy@crl.com
Media:
Amy Cianciaruso
Director, Public Relations
781-222-6168
Amy.Cianciaruso@crl.com
SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation