November 19, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

The economic toll of Alzheimer's on families, the price tag of brining new drugs to market hits $2.5 billion, and progress on developing a blood test for Alzheimer's (read more). 

Must reads

  • A November 18, 2014 Dallas Morning News article reported on the economic impact of Alzheimer's on families. According to the article, "Nearly half of family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia spend more than $20,000 a year on caregiving, according to a report from Caring.com. Of the 42 percent of Alzheimer’s family caregivers who spend more than $20,000 annually, 33 percent spend a whopping $30,000 or more a year on Alzheimer’s caregiving."
  • A November 18, 2014 Boston Globe article reported that a new study from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development finds drug companies will spend approximately $2.5 billion over a decade before winning approval to sell a new prescription medicine. According to the article, "The center’s projected cost of $2.558 billion dwarfs the $802 million figure in its last major study, done in 2003 — the equivalent of $1.04 billion in 2013 dollars. That number has been widely cited at industry forums as evidence of the financial hurdles drug makers face.Development costs have more than doubled over the past decade partly because scientists are tackling more complex diseases, resulting in more failures of experimental therapies, according to the center, which is affiliated with Tufts University."
Research, science, and technology 
  • A November 19, 2014 Las Vegas Sun article highlighted the work of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and its need for clinical trial volunteers for a major Alzheimer's study. According to the article, "The NOBLE Study, as it’s called, will examine whether the new drug, T-817MA, benefits people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease…Previous studies indicate this drug, taken in pill form, stimulates the production of substances in the brain that protect cells from injury, Bernick said. People who took the drug in a previous clinical study reported no serious side effects, he said. The Ruvo Center is one of 50 medical centers across the country participating in the NOBLE Study. Treatment will last 14 months."
  • A November 18, 2014 The Telegraph (UK) article reported on the progress of developing a blood test for Alzheimer's. According to the article, "The test, which was presented at a conference in the US, could be used to spot which patients are most at risk so that treatment can begin earlier or lifestyles altered. Those people could also participate in clinical trials to help find new treatments. Already, the test distinguishes between patients and healthy elderly with 100 percent accuracy…The blood test is still in the early stages of development and has only been evaluated in 174 individuals, requiring a larger, long-term study before widespread use.But a California based biotech company NanoSomiX is sponsoring the study and is keen to begin producing the test commercially."