On 16 July, ROADMAP coordinator Professor John Gallacher (University of Oxford / Dementias Platform UK) presented a poster at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), held this year in London. During his presentation he highlighted the fact that innovative treatments are needed to improve treatment options for patients and to address the economic, caregiver and societal impact of AD. Professor Gallacher emphasised that ROADMAP provides a comprehensive approach to real-world evidence through its systematic programme of work including eight Work Packages, and by providing access to multiple diverse datasets including national database and registry data, and primary care, hospital, mental health and specialist registers. The strength of ROADMAP lies in bringing together world‐leading expertise to apply cutting‐edge technology to this body of data, which is of unprecedented depth and breadth.  ROADMAP addresses the challenge of how to best inform clinical and health‐ policy decisions by conceptualising the entire population as the decision‐making laboratory, and building a population‐based integrated data environment, which is optimised for precision and personalised medicine. Professor Gallacher presented the means by which ROADMAP will achieve its aims over the course of the project and beyond, highlighting ways in which the Real World Evidence approach may benefit people affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

You can find the poster here.

On 4 and 5 September, the Outcomes Definition team engaged with Alzheimer Europe’s European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) to consult on their current scientific work and gain not only insights on research leading approaches, but also on how to integrate their expert views on topics raised within the work stream.

2017 also presented forthcoming opportunities for members of the consortium to report on insights from their recent work, and to shape as well as challenge these in collaborating with key stakeholders.

Another occasion to meet the ROADMAP team was at the 27^th Alzheimer Europe Conference (#27AEC), held in Berlin from 2-4 October. ROADMAP was represented by Catherine Reed on 4 October, at a symposium convened by Eli Lilly. The symposium, entitled: “Engaging with patient organisations within IMI consortia to inform quality, relevance and value in Alzheimer’s research – insights from MOPEAD, EPAD and ROADMAP”, explored how these three initiatives are tackling AD across the disease continuum. The panelists provided their perspectives regarding the rationale for each project, engaging in a discussion on the concrete multipronged actions to improve timely diagnosis through citizens’ participation, pioneering novel approaches to clinical trials and providing evidence regarding the value of new medications. One of the highlights of the discussions was the engagement of Pierre Meulien ED of IMI at the end of the symposium.

Following the AE Conference, ROADMAP was represented at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference in Boston, USA from 1-4 November. ROADMAP Consortium members from Eli Lilly, Novartis and the University of Oxford will be introducing the “Challenges in Optimising Real World Evidence for Alzheimer’s Disease”.

Further, ROADMAP held a poster presentation at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Annual Congress in Glasgow, UK from 4-8 November. This major international event consituted an opportunity for ROADMAP consortium members to communicate about how the project will play a role in challenging current paradigms in the assessment of novel treatments by decision makers and describe innovations for assessing new therapies to treat AD.

Finally, ROADMAP’s ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications) work stream organised a consultation with Alzheimer Europe’s European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) in December.

Stay up to date about ROADMAP events by visiting our events section and by subscribing to our newsletter.