From consortia discovery to biotech creation: An innovative approach to next-gen Alzheimer's drugs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) research has entered a new era where public-private partnerships are reigniting the pursuit of disease-modifying therapies targeting mechanisms beyond amyloid and tau. This perspective outlines how Monument Biosciences was founded to advance novel therapies by translating National Institutes of Health (NIH) -supported discoveries from the TaRget Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for AD (TREAT-AD) and the Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-onset AD (MODEL-AD) consortia into a venture-backed pipeline focused on neuroinflammation. Monument Bio strategically builds on genetic validation and high-quality, nondilutive-funded research and serves as a case study in how academic research can reduce risk in early-stage biotech development to advance novel therapies. The company exemplifies a novel academic-startup collaboration model, emphasizing robust biomarker strategies to streamline clinical development. Aligned with the framework presented by Richardson et al., in this issue, this approach supports a new generation of neuroscience companies grounded in open science, strong target validation, and disease-relevant endpoints. HIGHLIGHTS: The Alzheimer's field is poised for next-generation therapies beyond amyloid and tau. Monument Bio translates National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported science into a venture-backed Alzheimer's pipeline. TaRget Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for AD (TREAT-AD) and Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-onset AD (MODEL-AD) de-risk programs with validated assays, probes, and biomarker tools. Monument Bio shows how TREAT-AD's Target Enabling Packages (TEPs) enable difficult targets. Integrated biomarkers enable predictive translation, faster approval, and investment rationale.