The forum, opened by Mr Jean-Francois Branders, Belgian Ambassador to Japan, was focused on the status of research and product development in the disease. Professor Christine Van Broeckhoven, one of the world’s leading researchers from the Antwerp University (VIB - Flanders), presented an overview and this was followed by a panel discussion between six top researchers and product developers from Flanders and Japan.

The forum was attended by most Japanese pharmaceutical companies as well as by a number of research institutes. The debate showed that Flanders and Japan are strongly contributing to the unraveling of the Alzheimer’s pathology, and the development of Alzheimer’s diagnostics and therapeutics. Nevertheless, the forum concluded that more basic research and even closer international collaboration between research and industry was urgently needed.

Members of the panel included Professor Hiroshi Mori of the Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine of the Osaka City University, who acted as Chairman;  Professor Van Broeckhoven; Dr Takaomi Saido, team leader at the Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience of the Riken Brain Science Institute (Saitama, Japan); Dr Eugeen Van Mechelen, senior scientist at Innogenetics managing the development of new diagnostic and theranostic markers for neurodegenerative

disease; Koen De Waele, Neuro Program Manager at Innogenetics; and Dr Simon Arnold, Deputy Head of R&D Janssen Pharmaceutical KK in Japan.