INTERNATIONAL WINTER EVENT ON ALZHEIMER'S

Geneva, December 8-9 2014

  

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with biomarkers: Now despite no cure, or later «only if»?

Date: December 8-9th 2014
Sites:
  Dec 8th, 10am-16.35pm : Campus Biotech, Sécheron, Geneva. Auditorium bâtiment H8. Latitude, longitude: 46.2221721, 6.1482593
  Dec 9th, 9am-5pm. Hôpital Cantonal Cluse-Roseraie, Geneva, Assembly Hall E1, E2, E3, E4. Latitude, longitude: 46.1944178, 6.1480689
Format: workshop by invitation
Background: Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed early and accurately with laboratory and neuroimaging biomarkers. The current use of biomarkers follows more pressure from patients and families "who wish to know” than empirical data on clinical benefit. The practical consequence is that patients seeking medical advice for memory and other cognitive disturbances receive a widely variable treatment depending on where, even in the same country or city, they seek advice. Oncologists have developed a framework for the rational development of diagnostic biomarkers and their translation to clinical routine.
Objective: to outline a roadmap to the rational, evidence-based, effective, and efficient translation of Alzheimer's diagnostic biomarkers from research to routine clinical use in Europe.
The Vision: the roadmap will align scientists, funding agencies, and health care providers on a shared plan to exploit biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD. Patients will enjoy the same high level approach wherever in Europe they will be consulted.
Participants: 30 internationally recognised experts in biomarker development and use, and other key stakeholders.
  • Experts in biomarker development from the oncology community: Yasui Yutaka (Canada), Paolo Vineis (London).
  • EU Experts on diagnostic AD biomarkers : Kaj Blennow (Goteborg), Bruno Dubois (Paris), Karl Herholz (Manchester), Agneta Nordberg (Stockholm), Alessandro Padovani (Brescia), and Philip Scheltens (Amsterdam)
  • Swiss experts on diagnostic AD biomarkers : Jean-François Démonet (Lausanne), Christoph Hock (Zuerich), Andreas Monsch (Basel), Urs Mosimann (Berne), and Osman Ratib (Geneva)
  • Representatives of pertinent European scientific societies : Fred Barkhof (European Society of Neuroradiology), Patrick Bossuyt (European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine), Stefano Cappa (Federation of European Societies of Neuropsychology), Urs Mosiman (Swiss Federation of Clinical Neuro Societies), and Flavio Nobili (European Association of Nuclear Medicine)
  • Representatives of patient advocates : Jean Georges (Alzheimer's Europe), Birgitte Martensson (Alzheimer Suisse), and Maria Carrillo (US Alzheimer's Association)
  • Bioethicists : Samia Hurst (Geneva)
  • Regulatory agencies : Mark Baker (UK NICE – National Institute of Clinical Excellence)
  • 8 young emergent post-docs with pertinent interest and expertise.
Welcome:
  • Benoit Dubuis, Director, Campus Biotech
  • Henri Bounameaux, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, UniGeneva
Sponsors.
  • Institutional sponsor: Swiss National Foundation.
  • Corporate sponsors:
    • Platinum: Alzheimer Forum, IFRAD Suisse.
    • Gold: Eli Lilly, General Electric, Piramal, Guerbet, TEVA Pharma.
    • Silver: Académie Suisse de Sciences Médicales, Vifor Pharma Ltd., Novartis, Siemens, IXICO plc.

INTERNATIONAL GUEST LECTURE ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Date: December 8 2014
Time: 18h00-20h00
Sites: Auditoire Jenny, Hôpital Cantonal Cluse-Roseraie, Geneva. Latitude, longitude: 46.1944178, 6.1480689
Format: open to the public.
Intended audience: savvy non-medical persons, physicians (general practitioners and dementia specialists).
18h00 – WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Giovanni B Frisoni, University Hospitals and University of Geneva
Bertrand Levrat, General Director, Geneva University Hospitals
Mauro Poggia, Secretary of State for Health, Republic and Canton of Geneva
18h15 – GUEST LECTURE (in English)
Chair: Richard Frackowiak, Lausanne
Clifford R Jack. EARLIEST DETECTABLE BRAIN DAMAGE IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: TOWARDS PRIMARY PREVENTION
Clifford Jack is a professor of Radiology and the Alexander Family Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. A major research focus is modeling the temporal trajectory of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers (MRI, FDG PET, amyloid PET imaging and biofluids) in relation to clinical symptoms. His research group serves as the central MRI lab for a number of national and international observational and therapeutic studies in Alzheimer's disease including the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. He is one of the world's top influential clinical scientists in the Alzheimer's field. His already classical theory on «dynamic biomarkers» has inspired the current biomarker-based diagnostic criteria and much of current clinical research on Alzheimer's, and the pertinent paper is the most frequently cited of all Lancet Neurology papers.
19h00 - PANEL DISCUSSION (in French)
LE DIAGNOSTIC PRÉCOCE ET DIFFÉRENTIEL DE LA MALADIE D'ALZHEIMER: BESOINS CLINIQUES, OPPORTUNITÉS TECHNOLOGIQUES ET PROBLÈMES ÉTHIQUES.
Moderateur: Arnaud Perrier
Participants: Panteleimon Giannakopoulos, Gabriel Gold, Karl-Olof Lovblad, Osman Ratib, Ezio Giacobini, Isabel Rochat, et Samia Hurst.
Le diagnostic et, on l'espère, le traitement de la maladie d'Alzheimer sont en évolution radicale. Aujourd'hui déjà il est possible de reconnaître la maladie d'Alzheimer dans le cerveau de personnes qui ne montrent que de très faibles oublis, au point qu'ils peuvent être interprétés comme un vieillissement normal. Les biomarqueurs, les signes biologiques de la maladie, peuvent être détectés à l'aide de technologies comme la résonance magnétique à haute définition, la TEP (tomographie à émission de positrons) et la ponction lombaire. Toutefois, l'utilisation de routine de biomarqueurs pour le diagnostic confronte des coûts élevés, une invasivité, une faible standardisation, les valeurs éthiques du patient et des proches, aux valeurs de la société et aux opportunités actuelles de changer le cours de la maladie. Le débat n'est pas que clinique mais aussi éthique et social. Les participants à la table ronde transposeront le débat international à la lumière de la réalité genevoise.
20h00 – Clôture
Sponsors
  • Platinum: Alzheimer Forum, IFRAD Suisse.
  • Gold: Eli Lilly, General Electric, Piramal, Guerbet, TEVA Pharma.
  • Silver: Académie Suisse de Sciences Médicales, Vifor Pharma Ltd., Novartis, Siemens, IXICO plc.