An analysis of global research funding for the frontotemporal dementias: 1998-2008

作者：Walentas Christopher D; Shineman Diana W; Horton Antony R; Boeve Bradley F; Fillit Howard M^*

来源：Alzheimer's and Dementia, 2011, 7(2): 142-150.

DOI：10.1016/j.jalz.2010.11.010

• Frontotemporal dementia
• Research funding
• Landscape analysis
• Tau
• Tangle
• Pick's disease
• Ubiquitin
• TDP-43
• Corticobasal degeneration

Background: To better understand the status of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) research, and identify opportunities to accelerate translational research, we analyzed international funding for FTD and related dementias between 1998 and 2008.
Methods: Search terms were compiled to define the clinical spectrum of FTD and all known mechanisms. Funders were asked to return grants that contained these search terms in the title or abstract. Grants were classified according to the most reasonably achieved stated aim using a classification scheme of research activities that was developed to map grants along the continuum from basic research to clinical trials of treatments.
Results: This analysis captured 613 grants ($432,167,275), from 19 private and public funders from 7 countries and the European Union. National Institutes of Health contributed $360 million (MM), 53% of grants and 83% of total funding. Foundations contributed $43 MM, 35% of grants and 10% of total funding, an increase in recent years. A total of $319 MM (74%, funding) went toward basic research, of which 10% was dedicated to preclinical treatment development, clinical treatment evaluation, and developing detection, diagnostic, and imaging technologies and reagents.
Conclusions: FTD received moderate funding over the past decade, which has decreased almost five-fold during this period. A sizable proportion of FTD funding supported mechanisms shared with Alzheimer's disease. Few programs advanced past validating target models and into drug discovery and preclinical development, indicating that the knowledge gained from recent research has still not advanced into treatment development. Quantitative analysis of funding highlighted under-resourced areas as well as redundant efforts, enabling a more strategic approach toward advancing FTD drug discovery and development.

• 出版日期2011-3