On August 31, 2022, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the first roundtable discussion for an initiative titled, “Establishing a Multi-Stakeholder Public-Private Partnership in the Field of Dementia – Driving Parallel Progress on an Inclusive Society and in R&D.” The meeting was held online and was not open to the public.

HGPI views dementia and all other aging-related issues as health policy issues at the global level and has made continuous efforts in its capacity as a non-profit, independent health policy think tank to advance policies in this area around the world. In particular, HGPI was early to call for all-of-government initiatives for addressing dementia and has issued multiple recommendations to that end. The fruits of these efforts can be seen in the National Framework for Promotion of Dementia Policies formulated in 2019.

However, establishing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) that enables industry, Government, academia, and civil society to collaborate in R&D in the field of dementia and to achieve a dementia-friendly society remains an issue. In other fields such as cancer, there have already been initiatives to advance R&D with active involvement from patient advocacy organizations in clinical trials. The field of dementia has also reached the point where we should establish a platform that enables a broad variety of stakeholders to collaborate on the creation of an inclusive society and to promote R&D.

After a preliminary survey of members from academia was conducted and issues were sorted, this roundtable discussion examined issues and next steps to be taken with three discussion points as themes:
Discussion point 1: Policy issues surrounding R&D and the direction to take moving forward
Discussion point 2: Challenges facing Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in dementia research
Discussion point 3: Issues surrounding R&D programs

This roundtable was a significant opportunity for multi-stakeholders representing industry, Government, academia, and civil society to meet and exchange opinions on the future of R&D in a manner that surpassed each member’s position and field.

■ Roundtable discussion members (titles omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)

• Haruhiko Akiyama (Director of Clinical Research, Department of Clinical Research, Yokohama Municipal Stroke and Neurospine Center)
• Takeshi Ikeuchi (Professor, Center for Bioresource-based Researches, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University)
• Kenji Ishii (Team Leader, Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology)
• 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)
• Hidetaka Ota (Professor and Director, Advanced Research Center for Geriatric and Gerontology, Akita University (ARGG))
• Tomoo Ogawa (Director, Department of Clinical Research and Development, Japan-Asia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health, Eisai Co., Ltd.)
• Hideaki Katagiri (Medical Fellow and Lead Physician, Neuroscience & Pain, Medicine Development Unit Japan and Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly Japan K.K.)
• Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd.)
• Keisuke Suzuki (Director, Innovation Center for Translational Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology)
• Morio Suzuki (Representative Director, Alzheimer’s Association Japan (AAJ))
• Taro Semba (Director, Dementia Project Promotion Office, SOMPO Holdings, Inc.)
• Toshihisa Tanaka (Professor, Department of Neuromuscular Pathology, Mie University)
• Taisuke Tomita (Professor, Laboratory of Neuropathology & Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
• Jin Higashijima (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Global and Transdisciplinary Studies, Chiba University)
• Masaaki Hirai (Representative, Mahoroba Club)