Gladstone, Bristol-Myers Squibb to identify and validate novel targets in Alzheimer's

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and the Gladstone Institutes today announced the formation of a discovery-based research collaboration to identify and validate novel targets in Alzheimer's disease.

Under the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will fund Gladstone's research efforts to identify targets that affect Tau dysfunction. Tau is a protein that binds the cell's internal skeleton and may help regulate the activity of brain cells. In Alzheimer's disease, Tau forms abnormal deposits called neurofibrillary tangles, a hallmark pathology of the disease. By identifying targets that prevent or reverse Tau dysfunction, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gladstone hope to identify novel therapeutic strategies to modify the course of the disease.

"Bristol-Myers Squibb is committed to helping patients address the unmet medical need for effective treatments across the Alzheimer's disease continuum, from predementia to severe disease, by developing and studying a broad and diversified portfolio of compounds directed at multiple pathologies and different mechanisms," said Francis Cuss, MD, senior vice president, Discovery. "By leveraging the cutting edge expertise of the Gladstone Institutes in Alzheimer's disease we are hoping that the scientific innovation in drug development that often happens at the crossroads of different disciplines will lead to a better understanding of the role of Tau in Alzheimer's disease and, potentially, lead to the identification of new therapies for the treatment of this serious disease."

"We are delighted that Bristol-Myers Squibb will help us find new therapies for the millions touched by this devastating disease," said Lennart Mucke, MD, who directs neurological research at Gladstone. "This partnership should enable us to translate our scientific discoveries more quickly into solutions that alleviate the suffering of Alzheimer's patients and their families around the world."