The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO John J. Castellani responded to new efforts unveiled today by the Administration to combat Alzheimer’s Disease:

“Alzheimer’s disease is one of America’s top health challenges. It ravages the minds of patients, seriously impacts entire families and currently costs the U.S. health care system $172 billion a year. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an American will develop the disease every 33 seconds in 2050, costing the U.S. health care system $1.1 trillion. These costs are simply unsustainable,” said John J. Castellani, President and CEO, PhRMA.

“The outlook could change course, however, if a treatment were discovered that helps delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Biopharmaceutical research companies, recognizing the great health and economic need to help delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s, have invested heavily in this area and are currently researching and developing nearly 100 medicines to help address this public health priority.”

“Discovering an Alzheimer’s treatment is by no means an easy task; and it can certainly benefit from collaborations between industry, academia and federal research institutions. In addition to their individual efforts to discover and develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s, biopharmaceutical companies have partnered with each other and with academic and federal research institutions to help move forward the scientific understanding of this complex disease,” said Castellani.

“One remarkable example is provided by the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a large five year research project to define the rate of progress of Alzheimer’s disease, develop improved methods for clinical trials in this area, and to provide a large database which may improve development of innovative treatments.”

“We look forward to continuing our engagement with the different stakeholders and constituents involved in this national charge to combat Alzheimer’s,” said Castellani.

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The Alzheimer’s Association commends the Obama Administration for dedicating new resources in the fight against Alzheimer’s in a uniquely challenging fiscal year in advance of the first ever National Alzheimer’s Plan.

“This infusion of funds is important and the Alzheimer’s Association appreciates this step by the Administration,” said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are committed to working with the Administration, Congress and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services to ensure the development and implementation of an effective National Alzheimer’s Plan.

In order to meet the expectations of all Americans affected by this epidemic, the plan must address the critical need for care and support as well as accelerate research toward prevention, treatment and ultimately a cure.”

After the passage and enactment of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act with full bipartisan support last January, Americans affected by Alzheimer’s made impassioned demands for decisive action on Alzheimer’s during the Alzheimer’s Association’s nationwide public input campaign.

The more than 40,000 individuals who participated in the process live on the frontlines with Alzheimer’s disease. The struggles they face reflect the experiences of the estimated 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and their 15 million unpaid caregivers. They are eagerly waiting to see if the federal government’s commitment to solving this crisis is proportionate to the magnitude of this disease.

Within just 38 years, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease and it is projected to cost the country more than $1 trillion annually.

The Association will continue to support the process underway to develop the first National Alzheimer’s Plan led by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  All of these efforts will help to ensure the nation is at last equipped to overcome Alzheimer’s – the public health crisis of this century – and meet the goal set forth by the Administration to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.

One of the Alzheimer’s Association’s recent contributions to this process has been to convene a taskforce of leading Alzheimer’s scientists to determine the scope of work and scale of investment need to achieve this goal. Results of this assessment are expected to be released later this month.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/actionalz

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After a two-day meeting of government leaders and private sector experts that focused on the proposed framework of an historic national plan to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, Eric J. Hall, founding president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and a member of the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services established by the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA),on January 19 released this statement:

“Our nation is placing an intense and unprecedented focus on Alzheimer’s disease right now, giving hope to Americans that the bold recommendations and thoughtful discussion that emerged during his meeting of the Advisory Council and ongoing will result in a powerful plan that turns the tide of the disease.

“In the year since NAPA was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has consistently sought input from family caregivers, clinicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers and the general public about their personal and professional experiences with Alzheimer’s disease, their recommendations for change and their hopes that the NAPA process goes beyond a ‘check the box exercise.’

Their voices formed the basis of AFA’s report ‘No Time to Waste,’ which provides hard-hitting recommendations that align with the draft plan being discussed by the Advisory Council. “Never before has our nation been poised like this to pursue and achieve what Americans facing this devastating brain disorder demand and deserve.

We are at a pivotal juncture to alter the current course of Alzheimer’s disease, and we must act aggressively yet realistically in order to carry the momentum forward.

“Since fiscal concerns and the growth of the Alzheimer’s population cannot go unnoticed, it is critical that we design this plan with incremental, fundable and attainable goals, which include substantially increasing our scientific knowledge surrounding the disease; preventing, delaying and slowing progression of symptoms; researching and implementing best practices of care; providing much-needed support services for families; and ultimately obtaining the cure we are all waiting for.

“There’s no doubt that we have no time to waste, but it will be vital to engage Congress and sustain their commitment in order to achieve a national plan to defeat Alzheimer’s disease and help countless families now and in the future. Much work lies ahead, but I am confident that we are on the right path toward the resolution of this crisis.”

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) released its “No Time to Waste” report in October 2011 in response to the mandate by NAPA for federal officials to develop an integrated national plan to defeat Alzheimer’s disease.  AFA’s report urges wide-scale public awareness campaigns, including messaging to drive earlier detection and to “shift the focus from fear to acceptance of the disease.”

Other calls for action include: a substantial investment in research toward the prevention, treatment, care and cure of Alzheimer’s disease; additional dementia training and reimbursement for primary care clinicians; and greater training and support for family caregivers of all demographics, including teenagers and ethnic populations, across the continuum of care.

At the Advisory Council meeting this week, Hall further recommended family-friendly workplace policies; tax breaks for expenses related to care giving of loved ones with Alzheimer’ disease; and Medicare-provided support services, such as respite care, that can greatly benefit both individuals with the disease and the health and well-being of family caregivers.   Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/AlzheimersFoundationofAmerica

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2012 Presidential Candidates are answering the calls from thousands of Alzheimer’s disease advocates around the country asking leaders how they would stop Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects 5.4 million Americans and cost the nation $187 billion last year.

Three presidential candidates – Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Michele Bachmann – are the first to release videos discussing how they would address the Alzheimer’s crisis and lead a national effort to stop the disease. The videos represent the first indication that the fight against Alzheimer’s will be an issue in the 2012 Presidential race. To view all three videos, please visit:http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/alz2012/.

“Alzheimer’s disease will cost our nation $2 trillion over the next decade if we don’t act,” said George Vradenburg, co-founder and chair of USAgainstAlzheimer’s, who led the effort to gather comments from all 2012 candidates. “These three candidates emphasize that a strategy of curing Alzheimer’s disease can be a critical driver in reducing health care costs, with the proper regulatory environment and private and philanthropic partnerships and investment. We look forward to hearing from the other candidates, including President Obama, on how they would address Alzheimer’s.”

In the past month, USAgainstAlzheimer’s reached out to the campaigns of all 2012 presidential hopefuls, including President Obama, seeking a video response to how they would address the Alzheimer’s crisis. The following are excerpts from the videos received thus far:

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has long made Alzheimer’s disease one of the centerpieces of his campaign, outlining a series of proposals in his new “21st Century Contract with America” that emphasize the need for greater brain science research, medical innovation and a more agile Federal Drug Administration. “Alzheimer’s affects millions of people, and it affects the families of millions of people because an Alzheimer’s caregiver is twice as likely to have a health problem as somebody who’s not a caregiver. Alzheimer’s is going to cost us between now and 2050, as much as 20 trillion dollars, and that’s why it’s very important that we take steps such as I’m proposing in my brain science initiative,” Gingrich said. To see Gingrich’s video, click here: http://bit.ly/snq9k7.

Ambassador Jon Huntsman aims to increase funding for research and bolster public-private partnerships to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. “[Alzheimer's] carries a tremendous human toll, but also a financial toll, driving up health care costs by hundreds of billions of dollars a year. It is a disease with no treatment and no cure, but that doesn’t mean there is no hope. Experts believe a cure is possible by the end of this decade, but only with a sustained, targeted, and national commitment,” said Huntsman. “Now it is time for us to declare a War on Alzheimer’s, and rally the American people around the belief that this disease is beatable.” To see Huntsman’s video, click here: http://bit.ly/tQuvTf.

In her message, Rep. Michele Bachmann referenced the development of the polio vaccine and how this cure gives hope to those seeking a cure for Alzheimer’s. She said, “It was once predicted we would spend$1 billion a year on polio, maybe even more. Today, polio costs us virtually nothing, because Jonas Salk found a vaccine — a cure — and I’d like to see that same thing happen with Alzheimer’s. Because I believe a cure is always better — and cheaper — than more care.” To see Bachmann’s video, click here:http://bit.ly/v1WAHN.
Currently, 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s and the disease impacts 14.9 million caregivers nationwide. In the coming decades, the number of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s will triple. Without a cure, over 10 million baby boomers will die from the disease.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and remains the only disease in the top ten with no means of prevention, treatment or cure. It is a disease that destroys not only one’s memory and shortens one’s life, but disables one’s physical capacities as well. Despite the personal and financial toll Alzheimer’s inflicts, the National Institutes of Health invests only about $450 million per year toward Alzheimer’s research — less than $90 per person living with the disease.

USAgainstAlzheimer’s is a national advocacy campaign and advocacy network committed to stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020. An independent non-profit organization working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s community, USAgainstAlzheimer’s works to advance policies and elect candidates dedicated to stopping the disease by supporting research for a cure.

For more information about USAgainstAlzheimer’s, visit http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/.

Image Courtesy of  Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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