The Accelerating Drug Discovery for FTD awards from The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation support innovative small molecule and biologic (including antibodies, oligonucleotides, peptides, and gene therapy) drug discovery programs for FTD. Current funding priorities for this program include:
- Lead optimization of novel disease-modifying compounds (e.g., medicinal chemistry refinement, in vitro ADME).
- In vivo testing of novel lead compounds, biologics, vaccines, or repurposed drug candidates in relevant animal models for pharmacokinetics, dose-range finding, target engagement, in vivo efficacy, and/or preliminary rodent tolerability studies.
Applications are open to U.S. and international investigators working at:
- Academic medical centers and universities; non-profits. Industry partnerships are encouraged.
- Biotechnology companies (existing companies or new spinouts) that demonstrate a clear need for non-profit funding. Funding is provided through mission-related investments (MRIs) that require a return on investment based on scientific and/or business milestones. Both existing companies and new spinouts are eligible.
The funding provides up to 300,000 USD for one year, depending on the scope and stage of the research.
Letters of Intent are due on May 11, 2026, and invited full proposals are due on July 20, 2026.