December 09, 2013

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

University administrators advocate against sequestration, Alzheimer's growing impact on low and middle-income countries, and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) warns against budget cuts to medical research (read more). 
 

Must reads

  • A December 9, 2013 Detroit Free Press opinion piece by Michigan based university administrators advocated against further cuts to university research budgets. According to the authors, "Do we wish to maintain the leadership that brings so much international talent to our communities; that promises improved health and quality of life through breakthroughs in genomic and translational medicine, and that offers both environmental and economic sustainability in energy? Then surely, we can do better than this.Americans wouldn’t dream of disarming in the face of external threat. Nor should we allow internal dysfunction to render us vulnerable in the 21st-Century’s global knowledge economy. Our leaders should end the sequester and restore responsibility in Washington." Lou Anna K. Simon is president of the Michigan State University. Mary Sue Coleman is president of the University of Michigan and M. Roy Wilson is president of Wayne State University.
  • A December 8, 2013 UPI article reported on the impact of Alzheimer's on low and middle-income countries. According to the article, "While previously, high-income countries witnessed the strongest visible trends, it will now become low- and middle-income countries that will feel the heaviest burden. By 2050, 71 percent of people with dementia will live in low- and middle-income countries, the policy brief said."
  • A December 8, 2013 The Scranton Times Tribune (PA) interview with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) highlighted Sen. Casey's support for government supported medical research. According to Sen. Casey, "One of the most egregious examples and really disturbing examples is NIH (National Institutes of Health). You're talking about something that we have a tremendous advantage on - medical research. We have led the world for how many generations now. … Sequestration alone would lead to between 70 and 80 fewer research grants a year. We don't know whether it's one or 20 or none, (but) it's possible that you're not giving a grant that could have a big impact on Alzheimer's or big effect on some other major health problem. … That's the real tragedy, that the one country in the world that can really get at a cure or really make substantial progress towards a cure is the country that's kind of like penny-pinching. And the idea that the federal government, on an annual basis, has trouble coming up with an extra billion (dollars) for medical research is an insult."
  • A December 7, 2013 USA Today article reported on research advancements in the fight against Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Yet for all intents and purposes, we don't have a very good understanding at all of what causes Alzheimer's or how to stop it. This leaves the door wide open for big pharma and the biotech community to treat a serious disease and potentially make a fortune in the process…In terms of pipeline hopefuls, I would suggest keeping your eyes on Novartis' (NVS ) mavoglurant, which is actually being developed to treat symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease but may wind up being a meaningful step forward in treating Alzheimer's disease."