Motivation is Life
Cogmotiv is Developing an Innovative Pharmacological Treatment for Apathy in Dementia
Restoring Motivation and Improving Cognition
Apathy is one of the most disabling and under‑treated symptoms in dementia, affecting more than 60% of people living with the condition. With over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia*, the scale of the problem is immense. Yet apathy remains widely misunderstood, even though it profoundly affects patients, families and caregivers.
Apathy is not “doing less.” It is a breakdown of motivational drive, a neurobiological failure of initiation and engagement. As a transdiagnostic hallmark across major neurodegenerative diseases, apathy shapes the course of dementia and represents a powerful, cross-cutting therapeutic opportunity.
*WHO Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia (2021)
Understanding Apathy in Dementia
Apathy is one of the most common yet frequently under-recognised symptoms of dementia, representing a highly prevalent and disabling syndrome that affects more than 60% of people living with the condition.
It is not simply a lack of interest, laziness or depression. Apathy reflects a profound reduction in motivation that limits a person’s ability to initiate activities and remain engaged in daily life.
Manifestation of apathy
Apathy is marked by reduced motivation, diminished initiation and persistence, loss of interest and social engagement, impaired goal‑directed behaviour, blunted emotional responsiveness, and poor engagement with daily routines. People may withdraw socially, stop initiating activities, and abandon previously enjoyed pursuits. They often do not feel sad or distressed; they understand their environment but lack the internal drive to act.
Devastating Consequences
The impact of apathy extends far beyond reduced activity. It accelerates functional decline, limits participation in cognitive, physical and social life and reduces the effectiveness of rehabilitation and care.
For caregivers, apathy is deeply distressing, as it erodes connection and increases emotional and practical burden.
As apathy progresses, it contributes to early loss of independence, greater reliance on long‑term care, and, for many, earlier institutionalization. It is also a major driver of healthcare use and total dependence in later stages.
Treatment Gap
Despite its high prevalence and consequences, there are currently no approved treatments for apathy
in dementia.
Our focus is to target apathy and the underlying dopaminergic dysfunction as a disease-driving process
Our mission is to restore motivation, cognitive engagement and everyday functioning in people living with dementia. By addressing apathy at its neurobiological roots - within disrupted motivational circuits - we aim to influence the trajectory of dementia in a clinically meaningful way.
CM01 and Alzheimer’s disease as clinical proof of concept
CM01 – a differentiated NCE therapeutic strategy
CM01 is designed to selectively target the dopaminergic system, a validated mechanism underlying motivation, reward processing and goal‑directed behaviour. By restoring motivational drive, CM01 aims to enhance cognition, increase daily engagement and improve quality of life for patients and caregivers.
Intervening early offers the opportunity to preserve engagement, support independence and disrupt the cycle of withdrawal, inactivity and decline before it becomes entrenched.
Alzheimer’s disease as clinical proof of concept
Apathy is especially common and disabling in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), affecting up to 80% of patients. With AD accounting for 60-70% of all dementia cases, this represents more than 30 million people worldwide and up to 25 million experiencing apathy.
This scale makes Alzheimer’s disease a compelling human proof of concept setting, enabling early and robust signals of efficacy. AD is not only a therapeutic indication; it is the clinical validation pathway for our apathy‑targeted approach.
Where we are today
We are advancing CM01 through a rigorous development pathway focused on apathy in dementia, grounded in
- A clear understanding of apathy as a disease‑driving process
- A strong mechanistic rationale for targeting dopaminergic motivational circuits
- A focus on meaningful, patient‑relevant outcomes for patients and caregivers
- A development‑ready R&D position, with CM01 currently progressing through the IND‑enabling phase, justifying continued development and positioning the program for a well‑defined transition into first‑in‑human studies
Supporters and Recognitions
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