The Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API) was established to launch a new era in Alzheimer’s prevention research, accelerate the evaluation and approval of prevention therapies, and find ones that work as soon as possible.
API is led by researchers from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) in partnership with leaders from academia, industry, and other public and private stakeholder organizations around the world. It is supported by competitive research grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), generous philanthropic contributions to Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation, and partnerships with pharmaceutical companies.* It is intended to provide the best fighting chance to find and support the approval of an effective Alzheimer’s prevention therapy by 2025, and to set the stage for the continued evaluation of prevention therapies after that time.
* API projects and programs have received generous support from NIA grants RF1 AG041705, UF1 AG046150, R01 AG031581, R01 AG055444, R01 AG063954, and P30 AG19610; collaborative research agreements with Genentech/Roche, Novartis, Amgen and Avid/Eli Lilly; philanthropic support from Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, FBRI, FIL Foundation, Flinn Foundation, Forget Me Not Initiative, GHR Foundation, the NOMIS Foundation; Colciencias grants 1115-408-20512, 1115-408-20543; and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium.
API has introduced ground-breaking research paradigms, cognitive and biomarker assessment tools, and Alzheimer’s prevention trials.
It includes the first funded prevention trial of an investigational anti-amyloid drug and a growing number of precedent-setting prevention trials in cognitively unimpaired people at high genetic and/or biomarker risk. API consists of:
API has established precedent-setting public-private partnerships, surrogate biomarker development strategies, and biological sample sharing programs to conduct prevention trials with optimal public benefit.
API has developed exceptionally large registries and genetic and biomarker-testing programs to support awareness, interest and participation in prevention trials, including:
Additionally, under the leadership of API’s partners at the University of Antioquia, the Colombian API Registry has conducted clinical assessments and genetic tests in about 6,000 members of the PSEN1 E280A kindred, about 1,200 of whom carry the PSEN1 E280A mutation which causes them to develop cognitive impairment at the average age of 45.
In 2012, API established a precedent-setting agreement with Genentech and its parent organization Roche to share data and biological samples from the API ADAD Colombia Trial after the prevention trial is over. API subsequently established similar data and biological sample sharing agreements with Novartis and Amgen to share data and biological samples from the Generation Program.
In 2016, API researchers, along with their colleagues from the Collaboration for Alzheimer’s Prevention (CAP), developed data and sample sharing principles for baseline and post-randomization data, such that trials can be performed in ways that will have the greatest public benefit (Weninger et al, 2016). API intends to embrace these principles in all of its trials.
Baseline Data Requests
Investigators can apply for use of baseline demographic, clinical, and imaging data from the API ADAD Colombia Trial by contacting APIdata@
Generation Program Disclosure Materials
As part of the Generation Program materials were developed to help guide participants through the APOE and amyloid disclosure sessions. These included an educational handout summarizing considerations for undergoing disclosure APOE and amyloid disclosure, handouts used by providers of disclosure to walk participants through the APOE and amyloid disclosure sessions, and results summary sheets for each possible APOE genotype as well as an amyloid results summary sheet.
PDF versions of these materials can be downloaded by clicking the links below.
When using these materials, please use the following acknowledgements:
This Generation Program is funded by Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland and Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, in collaboration with the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute located in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Generation Study 1 is supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging (1UF1AG046150), part of the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, FBRI, GHR Foundation and Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation.
API is led by Eric Reiman, MD, Pierre Tariot, MD, Robert Alexander, MD, and Jessica Langbaum, PhD, at BAI. The API ADAD Colombia Trial is also led by Dr. Francisco Lopera from the Neurosciences Group at the University of Antioquia. API’s prevention trials have benefitted from partnerships with its industry partners and the NIA. Its progress and productivity would not be possible without the critical contributions and leadership efforts of numerous colleagues and collaborators, and without the commitment and generosity of our valued research participants.