LifeWorx Founder and CEO Bal Agrawal has recently joined the Board of Overseers of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). The Board of Overseers is an advisory board committed to providing counsel and support to the ADDF Board of Governors and staff, lending their expertise to advance the ADDF’s mission to accelerate the development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. This disease is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Although Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, it is the biggest risk factor. Research into how Alzheimer’s develops is ongoing, but there are interrelated causes that result in an arise of dysfunction. These include inflammation, misfolded proteins, mitochondrial dysfunction, vascular disease, synaptic loss, and eventually loss of our neurons.

As Bal states, “It is heartbreaking to see grown men and women, spouses or those suffering from Alzheimer’s be so upset about how life unfolds with this debilitating illness.” Bal has heard directly from thousands of families about the challenges they face as adult children of patients who are in shock and denial of what happens to their parents. Medical and scientific research has progressed dramatically in the last decade to discover a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the development of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF has awarded more than $209 million to fund over 690 Alzheimer’s drug discovery and development programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 19 countries.

Dr. Fillit is a world-renowned geriatrician, neuroscientist, and innovative philanthropy executive. Dr. Fillit as serves on the LifeWorx advisory board and also maintains a limited private practice in consultative geriatric medicine, specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in New York City. He has also served as a consultant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health care organizations, and philanthropies. Dr. Fillit has cared for hundreds of Alzheimer’s patients over his 40-year career and has been heavily involved as a researcher since the earliest days of research into this debilitating disease.

LifeWorx specializes in providing comprehensive in-home elder care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Our passionate caregivers have extensive experience in supporting individuals and their families suffering from Alzheimer’s and we understand the challenges that come with it. Our team of qualified and compassionate caregivers is equipped to provide essential services to Alzheimer’s patients.

At LifeWorx, we are committed to bringing long-term solutions to the challenge and immediate care to those in need.