Siemens is the first of many partners to non-exclusively license SpeechDx’s speech and clinical dataset with the goal of developing a speech-based biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.

NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)‘s Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) today announced a new partnership with Siemens Healthineers to license the DxA’s SpeechDx dataset. SpeechDx, DxA’s most sizeable investment to date, was launched in 2023 as a study aimed at creating the largest longitudinal dataset consisting of harmonized speech and biomarker data to help accelerate the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease. Under the agreement, Siemens will license the SpeechDx dataset to develop speech-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.

“We have long known that Alzheimer’s pathology can appear 20-30 years before symptoms arise, creating an opportunity to detect and intervene earlier on in the disease progression,” said Howard Fillit, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at the ADDF. “Previous research suggests subtle changes in speech can be one of the earliest indicators of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s, and our partnership with Siemens represents the first of many collaborations that will utilize SpeechDx dataset to identify a new class of speech-based biomarkers and digital tools for Alzheimer’s.”

This cutting-edge initiative provides researchers with rigorously collected longitudinal speech, clinical, and biomarker data – allowing scientists to identify speech-based biomarkers and develop novel diagnostic and prognostic tools for Alzheimer’s.

“The earlier we identify the prospect of life-altering degenerative diseases, the greater impact we can potentially have on patients and their families’ lives. Predicting Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible stage with speech analysis and laboratory testing is untapped potential. The limitation to achieving this milestone has been access to large cohorts of ethically sourced patient data that might provide clues about how early we may be able to predict patients’ degeneration. Through this collaborative agreement, we can explore what opportunities may be possible for earlier detection,” said Arejas J. Uzgiris, PhD, neurology innovation lead and head of the Center for Innovation in Diagnostics for North America at Siemens Healthineers.

SpeechDx serves as the gold-standard dataset for developing diagnostic and prognostic speech-based biomarkers that may signal Alzheimer’s at its earliest stages. The DxA recognized a critical gap in the data fueling the high-potential field of speech diagnostics for Alzheimer’s, establishing SpeechDx as a unified speech dataset for industry, biotech, and academic leaders to accelerate development of speech biomarkers.

Speech data is collected in a standardized fashion via a custom speech app, while clinical and biomarker data come from different partner clinical sites and are harmonized before they are shared with partners via the AD Data Initiative’s AD Workbench. The SpeechDx dataset may inform new diagnostics, with biomarkers detecting decline as early as possible, or may provide insights into prognostics to predict future cognitive decline.

“The SpeechDx dataset has the potential to transform the fight against Alzheimer’s by harnessing the power of speech and digital voice-based biomarkers, opening up new possibilities for earlier disease detection, and progression monitoring,” said Niranjan Bose, Managing Director, Health and Life Sciences at Gates Ventures. “This partnership with Siemens underscores our shared commitment to accelerating Alzheimer’s screening and diagnostics, and we are excited for the progress we can achieve together in the coming years.” 

SpeechDx’s dataset includes approximately 2,000 participants recruited from eight clinical sites, with speech collected in three languages (English, Spanish, and Catalan). Each study participant is deeply characterized, including by medical history and demographic data and by longitudinal Alzheimer’s blood-based biomarker and neuropsychological testing and MRI imaging. SpeechDx collects data from each participant for three years to track potential cognitive decline. While SpeechDx participants range from participants with normal cognition to participants with mild Alzheimer’s, most participants are cognitively normal or at earliest stages of decline. SpeechDx is on track to complete data collection in 2028 and will release data to partners in batches, starting in 2025.

“Validation of speech as a digital biomarker has the potential to transform how we diagnose and predict Alzheimer’s disease,” said Rhoda Au, PhD, MBA, Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Principal Investigator of the SpeechDx clinical site at Boston University, and recipient of the 2023 Melvin R. Goodes Prize for Excellence in Alzheimer’s Drug Development. “Speech recordings are easily attainable with the widespread and low-cost use of microphones from everyday sources like cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices – leading to greater accessibility to screenings for Alzheimer’s. Combining cognitive assessments, patient demographic information, and speech data may provide a more comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic method of screening for Alzheimer’s.”

About The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)
Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. 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’s leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer’s PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current robust and diverse drug pipeline. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $370 million to fund 765 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 21 countries. To learn more, please visit: http://www.alzdiscovery.org/.

About the Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA)
The Diagnostics Accelerator, created in July 2018, is a $100 million global research initiative from partners including ADDF Co-Founder Leonard A. Lauder, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, among others, to develop novel biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

This research initiative is dedicated to accelerating the development of affordable and accessible biomarkers to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and advance the clinical development of more targeted treatments. Through translational research awards and access to consulting support from industry experts, this program will challenge, assist and fund the research community in both academia and industry to develop novel peripheral and digital biomarkers.

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SOURCE Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

NEW YORK, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A new study by RMI and the Global Cooling Efficiency Accelerator (GCEA) reveals that next-generation air conditioners (ACs) use 60% less energy than conventional units and cut lifetime energy costs by more than 50%—a breakthrough in energy-efficient cooling technology.

The nine-month study, conducted in Palava City, India, in partnership with Lodha and CEPT University, tested high-efficiency AC prototypes under extreme summer conditions and compared them to standard units. The results show that super-efficient ACs not only consume significantly less energy but also improve comfort and grid reliability. Key findings include:

Super-efficient ACs used 60% less energy than a typical AC in real-world conditions over the nine-month testing period. Unlike typical units, the super-efficient ACs consistently achieved the target temperature and relative humidity for optimal comfort.Typical ACs use significant extra energy to control humidity—a factor not captured by current AC performance metrics. Testing revealed that up to 25% more energy is used just to manage humidity in conventional units.In addition to energy savings, super-efficient ACs reduce peak electricity demand by 50% compared with typical ACs. This helps prevent power outages and avoids costly infrastructure upgrades by lowering stress on the grid.Over their lifetime, super-efficient ACs can save consumers more than 50% on energy bills, resulting in a substantially lower total cost of ownership.These findings show that next-generation ACs could transform cooling worldwide. If the 3 billion ACs expected to be installed globally by 2050 were super-efficient models, we could avoid 68 gigatons of emissions—more than the world’s total annual emissions today.

Air conditioning is set to become the world’s second-largest driver of electricity demand by 2030—behind only electric vehicles and generating over three times the load of data centers. If current technologies persist, rising cooling needs will fuel a cycle of higher demand, rising costs, and pressure on already-stressed power grids. This study shows that scaling super-efficient ACs offers a clear solution: cutting energy use, lowering costs, improving comfort, and easing strain on the grid.

Read the report: https://rmi.org/insight/bringing-super-efficient-air-conditioners-to-the-market/

About RMI:

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to secure a prosperous, resilient, clean energy future for all. RMI works with businesses, policymakers, and communities to scale renewable energy solutions, reduce energy waste, and boost access to affordable clean energy.

Media Contact:

media@rmi.org

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/new-rmi-study-finds-next-gen-acs-cut-energy-costs-by-50-in-india-302444402.html

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Institute

TORONTO,  May 1, 2025 /CNW/ – Conquest Planning Inc., Snap Projections Inc., and Voyant Inc. are helping financial planners better assist their clients by leveraging guidelines that support the provision of long-term, bias-free financial projections. The financial planning software providers are incorporating the Projection Assumption Guidelines, which are jointly published by the FP Canada Standards Council™ and the Institute of Financial Planning and updated annually, into their software, which planners use when developing financial plans. 

“The Projection Assumption Guidelines are fundamental to the financial planning practice,” says Ken Lotocki, Chief Product Officer at Conquest. “They play an important part in ensuring that the advice provided to the end client is based on informed assumptions, adding an extra layer of comfort and confidence.” 

Leveraging the Guidelines and embedding them in financial planning software supports financial planners in developing financial planning projections and creating financial plans that help their clients realize their goals. 

“We’re proud to partner with FP Canada and the Institute of Financial Planning to integrate their custom market assumptions into Voyant’s core solution,” says Dave Kaufman, CEO of Voyant. “This ensures advisors can deliver plans that support more engaging and confident conversations that enhance the client experience.”

Snap Projections President and CEO Pawel Brzemski further highlighted the importance of relying on sound assumptions—and the benefits it provides for clients. “The Projection Assumption Guidelines are the default at Snap Projections, providing a prudent, research-backed and unbiased baseline, helping advisors to set realistic expectations, foster client confidence, and ensure financial plans remain resilient,” says Brzemski.

The use of the Projection Assumption Guidelines also assists planners in meeting their professional responsibilities. “We are thrilled to see the adoption of the Projection Assumption Guidelines across Canada,” says Damienne Lebrun-Reid, General Counsel and Head of the FP Canada Standards Council. “By facilitating the use of the Guidelines, Conquest Planning, Snap Projections, and Voyant are leveraging unbiased and reasonable long-term projections, the cornerstone of a strong financial plan. These software providers are supporting financial planners in providing clients with sound recommendations and advice to achieve long-term financial well-being.” 

About FP Canada    

Established in 1995, FP Canada is a national not-for-profit education, certification and professional oversight organization working in the public interest. FP Canada is dedicated to championing better financial wellness for all Canadians by leading the advancement of professional financial planning in Canada.    

SOURCE FP Canada