Preclinical Autism Consortium for Therapeutics (PACT)

Download Profile PDF
At a Glance
  • Status: Active Consortium
  • Year Launched: 2013
  • Initiating Organization: Autism Speaks
  • Initiator Type: Nonprofit foundation
  • Disease focus:
    Autism
  • Location: North America

Abstract

The Preclinical Autism Consortium for Therapeutics (PACT) is a consortium of basic researchers with expertise in rodent models of autism spectrum disorders who seek to discover effective treatments for the core symptoms of autism. Pharmacological interventions will be assessed for their ability to restore normal sociability and communication skills, reduce repetitive behaviors, lessen seizures and anxiety-like behaviors, correct hypo- and hyper-responsivity to sensory stimuli, and improve cognitive disabilities. The choice of pharmacological compounds will be based on knowledge about the genetic mutations associated with autism, which act to impair synaptic connections between neurons in the brain. Compounds that reproducibly reduce symptoms in both mouse and rat models of autism will point the way to clinical trials for medications to improve the diagnostic and associated symptoms of autism.

Mission

The goals of PACT are to increase success of autism medications development, attract more investment to the field, and increase the quality of new medications advancing toward the marketplace.

The PACT team is developing a platform of preclinical tests to evaluate and compare new medications for the core symptoms of autism. PACT will build and validate an expansive group of tests including assessments of social, repetitive and sensory behaviors, anxiety, hyperactivity, andcognitive and brain activity patterns in cutting-edge rat and mouse models of genetic risk for autism.

Consortium History

October 2013: Consortium announced

Sponsors & Partners

Autism Speaks

Baylor College of Medicine

Boston Children’s Hospital

University of California Davis MIND Institute

Last Updated: 04/08/2016
The Consortia-pedia Catalogue is a living resource, and we are always adding new consortia. Provide information here about your collaboration to apply to be included in the Catalogue.
Register your consortium  
All the information contained in the Consortia-pedia was collected from publically available sources. Decisions to include or exclude a particular listing from Consortia-pedia were also made on the basis of publically available information and the criteria outlined in the FAQs. This site is intended to be an objective resource for the community, and inclusion does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or approval by FasterCures or the Milken Institute.