[Event Report] Global Roundtable “Building a Better Clinical Trial Environment for Dementia Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration” (March 8, 2022)

date : 5/20/2022

For Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the cause of approximately 60% of all cases of dementia, it has been reported that clinical trial recruitment periods can last two to ten times longer than the trials themselves. This can present major hurdles for R&D. To address this and other issues, the Japanese Trial Ready Cohort (J-TRC), which began operating in October 2019, monitors cognitive function among people without dementia and serves as a platform for connecting researchers with people who can participate in clinical trials for AD prevention pharmaceuticals. For clinical trial platforms like the J-TRC to be operated effectively, it is essential for there to be strong interest among and participation from people living with dementia and other affected parties, who may be participants in those trials, as well as from the public.

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) and the Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, the University of Tokyo Hospital, which operates the J-TRC, hosted a global roundtable with representatives of industry, Government, academia and civil society. There, we utilized our past experiences to deepen the discussion on various issues and set a specific direction for solutions to improve the clinical trial environment for dementia. We also connected with speakers overseas online to examine these topics together and to hear best practices and lessons from abroad.

[Overview]

Date and time: March 8, 2022, 15:30-17:45 JST (Local time in the U.K.: 06:30-08:45)
Format: Zoom Webinar
Hosted by: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
　　　　　Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital
Languages: Japanese and English with simultaneous interpretation

[Program] JST (GMT) : (title omitted, in any particular order)

15:30-15:35 (06:30-06:35)　Welcoming Remarks and Explanatory Introduction

Ryoji Noritake (CEO, Board Member, HGPI)

15:35-15:40 (06:35-06:40)　Keynote lecture 1 “Current J-TRC Status and the Future”

Takeshi Iwatsubo (Professor, Department of Basic Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo; Director, Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital)

15:40-15:50 (06:40-06:50)　Keynote lecture 2 “Forming Clinical Trial Environment for Dementia in Japan”

Toshihisa Tanaka (Special Officer for Dementia Policy and Assstant Section Chief, Division of Dementia Policy and Community-Based Long-Term Care Promotion, Health and Welfare Breau for the Elderly, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

15:55-16:10 (06:55-07:10)　Keynote lecture 3 “Global Trends of Public-Private-Partnership for Drug-discovery in Brain Health”

Craig Ritchie (Chair, Centre for Dementia Prevention, The University of Edinburgh; Director, Brain Health Scotland)

16:15-17:00 (07:15-08:00)　Roundtable Discussion 1 “Global Trends and Japan’s Challenges: Achieving Sustainability for Clinical Environment for Dementia”

17:00-17:35 (08:00-08:35)　Roundtable Discussion 2 “Earning Public Engagement and Awareness for Clinical Environment for Dementia”

Roundtable Panelists (in any particular order):

Takeshi Iwatsubo (Professor, Department of Basic Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo; Director, Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital)
Yoshiki Niimi (Special Appointed Lecturer, The University of Tokyo Hospital)
Motoharu Kawai (Director, Alzheimer’s Association Japan, AAJ; Director, the yamaguchi branch of AAJ; Vice Director, Neuromuscular Center Yoshimizu Hospital)
Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd.)
Ryoko Ihara (Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center Hospital)
Takeshi Ikeuchi (Professor, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University)
Sayuri Watanabe (Japan Compaund Development Team Leader, R&D Japnssen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson)
Craig Ritchie (Director, Centre for Dementia Prevention, The University of Edinburgh; Director, Brain Health Scotland)
Lenny Shallcross (Executive Director, World Dementia Council)