PacBio Chosen as Tech Partner for Global Alzheimer’s Disease Research Project

Hand shaking which print screen on wooden cube block in front of human icon for business deal and agreement concept. | Image Credit: © Dilok - stock.adobe.com

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), led by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, announced on April 22, 2025 that it has selected the genomic sequencing company PacBio as its technology partner in the launch of a new project, the North African Dementia Registry (NADR) (1).

Other partners, according to a press release, include the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE) at The American University in Cairo (AUC), and UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology at University College London (UCL) (1). The purpose of the project is to develop a high-quality and comprehensive multi-omics dataset that will serve to advance the research community’s understanding of Alzheimer’s disease genetics, and those of other forms of dementia, in diverse populations around the world.

Data generated by the efforts of the collaboration will be made accessible via a worldwide research platform, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (1).

The NADR, which desires to address an underrepresentation of North African populations in dementia research, is part of DAC’s goal of investing more than $700 million to accelerate innovation in drug development and healthcare approaches to Alzheimer’s disease (2).

“This collaboration will bolster our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease in a region characterized by remarkable genetic diversity,” Vaibhav Narayan, DAC executive vice-president, said in the press release (1). “Over time, these insights will inform locally relevant prevention and intervention strategies for communities often overlooked in global research efforts.”

“Addressing the global challenge of dementia requires diverse, high-quality datasets. With PacBio’s technology and workflows, we can accelerate our understanding of the genetic architecture of populations in North Africa and uncover novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets,” Mie Rizig, PhD, UCL NADR lead and clinical senior research fellow in the Department of Neuromuscular Diseases at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, said in the release (1).

The number of people living with dementia is forecast to as much as triple, to 139 million individuals, by the year 2050 (2). Currently, three out of four people with dementia are not only never treated for it—they aren’t diagnosed.

“With a population exceeding 110 million, Egypt serves as a unique bridge between Africa and the Middle East, offering a rich tapestry of genetic and cultural heritage,” said Mohamed Salama, AUC-NADR lead and professor at AUC’s I-GHHE, in the press release (1). “This collaboration not only promises to benefit the Egyptian population but also aims to advance our collective understanding of dementia in the region and beyond.”

“We are proud to partner with DAC, AUC, and UCL on this important project to advance our understanding of the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, and hopefully help researchers identify new diagnostic tools and therapeutic solutions,” said Neil Ward, vice-president and general manager of EMEA at PacBio, in the release (1). “Our long-read sequencing technology is uniquely suited to deliver the high-quality genomic data needed to explore the complex genetic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease. This initiative aligns with our commitment to enabling genomic discoveries that improve human health worldwide.”

At the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) conference in Baltimore, Md., in May 2024, Pharmaceutical Technology® sat down with Nadia Sellami, PhD, global segment lead for gene and cell therapy at PacBio, about the benefits of long-read sequencing in cell and gene editing (3). That video interview can be viewed in full at this link.

References

1. Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Selects PacBio as Technology Partner for Global Project to Advance Alzheimer’s Disease Research in North Africa. Press Release. April 22, 2025.
2. Comments received via email correspondence on April 22, 2025.
3. Spivey, C. The Benefit of Long-Read Sequencing in Gene Therapies. PharmTech.com, June 18, 2024.