The Alpha-1 Project (TAP) is a wholly-owned for profit subsidiary of the Alpha-1 Foundation singularly focused on providing critical funding and advice to speed the commercialization of therapies for the elimination of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and liver disease caused by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1).

TAP will focus funding into highly promising drug therapies or devices in the translational research or clinical trial stage of development to speed the commercialization of these therapies. It will leverage the experience and scientific knowledge of the Alpha-1 Foundation as well as the drug therapy and device commercialization expertise of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Our Scientific and Business Advisory Council will guide the establishment of the therapeutic strategies and ensure that TAP’s investments in various drug and device therapy projects is fiscally sound.

While currently available therapies may halt the progression of lung disease, there are currently no effective treatments for the liver disease and a cure for Alpha-1 remains elusive. Academic research, to a great extent supported by the Alpha-1 Foundation, has identified novel drug targets but is not in the business of drug development. Large pharmaceutical companies on the other hand have the means of introducing new drugs to the market but until now have been reluctant to invest in new drug development for rare diseases.

The gap between basic academic research and the marketing of new drugs, the principal impediment to drug development for rare diseases, can be bridged by a partnership between biotechnology companies and voluntary health advocacy (VHA) organizations. Venture philanthropy has emerged as the ideal model for this partnership by linking expertise in biotechnology with the resources of VHA’s including academic researchers, donors and patient populations for new drug testing.