USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

ICYMI: A May 21, 2015 Genius of Caring blog featured a tribute to Trish Vradenburg’s mother who inspired her Alzheimer’s advocacy. According to Trish, “If only she had gotten Alzheimer's now -- when there is true hope on the horizon. With luck, we will have an approved medicine by 2020 and we can begin to really stop this killer. If only...Well, mom, there is no question for me: I am fighting this battle in your memory. I still remember love for you...every day.Happy Mother's Day, my beloved mom.” 

MUST READS AND WATCH

Must Watch: A May 26, 2015 AP video (via USA Today) highlighted Georgetown University Alzheimer’s research focused on healthy but at-risk individuals. According to the description, “In addition to brain scans checking for amyloid build up, researchers are looking for tangles of a protein named tau.”

A May 26, 2015 Associated Press article (via ABC News) highlighted the A4 study and efforts to “peek” into healthy brains to detect Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “No one knows what actually causes Alzheimer's, but the suspects are its two hallmarks — the gunky amyloid in those brain plaques or tangles of a protein named tau that clog dying brain cells. New imaging can spot those tangles in living brains, providing a chance to finally better understand what triggers dementia. Now researchers are adding tau brain scans to an ambitious study that's testing if an experimental drug might help healthy but at-risk people stave off Alzheimer's. Whether that medication works or not, it's the first drug study where scientists can track how both of Alzheimer's signature markers begin building up in older adults before memory ever slips.”

A May 24, 2015 Cleveland.com opinion piece by Dr. Matthew Wayne and Christine Nelson called on doctors to do a better job of diagnosing and disclosing Alzheimer’s to patients. According to the authors, “There is widespread agreement among health care professionals that people should be told their diagnoses. According to the Alzheimer's Association, telling the person with Alzheimer's the truth about the diagnosis should be standard practice. Disclosure should be delivered with sensitivity and in a supportive manner that avoids unnecessary distress. Telling the truth about the diagnosis allows the person with Alzheimer's to maximize quality of life and play an active role with the family in planning for the future.” Christine Nelson is chair of the Alzheimer's Association Cleveland Area Chapter's Professional Advisory Board and  Dr. Matthew S. Wayne is the chief medical officer of CommuniCare Health Services.

A May 23, 2015 The Week feature article highlighted “America’s Alzheimer’s time bomb.” According to the article, “With drug companies yet to find a way to cure, prevent, or even delay this highly complex disease, Alzheimer's treatment costs could hit $1.1 trillion and consume as much as 31 percent of Medicare's budget. Nursing homes will be swamped, and millions of family members — who already contribute an estimated 17.9 billion hours a year of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia — will be forced to dedicate much of their lives to looking after people who can no longer take care of themselves. "If you know anyone who has Alzheimer's," says Dallas Anderson at the National Institute on Aging, "you know how dire this projection is for the nation.””

AGING AND THE ECONOMY  

A May 25, 2015 Financial Times article highlighted the need for the business sector to adapt to aging consumers. According to the article, “As lifespans lengthen, businesses are starting to adapt and provide new services not just to healthy older consumers but also the frail and vulnerable. TrueCall, for example, started out as an all-purpose nuisance-call screener but today markets its services to support the vulnerable elderly. Once a rarity, customer contact centres have become used to dealing with clients’ power of attorneys. Staff in some businesses are trained to help elderly consumers who are confused, perhaps even notifying carers. While other businesses are searching for ways to support consumers with age-related disabilities. The number of people living with dementia — estimated to be 44.4m worldwide, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, and forecast by the organisation to reach 75.6m by 2030 — poses particular dilemmas for businesses. Dementia is an umbrella term for the progressive loss of mental abilities and is most often found in older people, most commonly in the form of Alzheimer’s disease. Showing consideration can make transactions easier for people whose faculties are faltering. James Warner, medical director at Red & Yellow Care, a dementia healthcare provider, says: “It’s not axiomatic that someone with dementia lacks the capacity [to make financial decisions] but they may take longer to assimilate information.” At SunLife, an insurer with many older policyholders, managing director Dean Lamble says call staff are trained to spot when customers sound groggy — perhaps they were taking a nap — and offer to call back another time or perhaps when a relative will be on hand to speak for them.”

INDUSTRY UPDATE  

A May 22, 2015 The New York Times article reported that “A federal appeals court in New York ruled on Friday that Actavis cannot withdraw its top-selling Alzheimer’s disease drug from the market in favor of a more expensive extended-release version.” According to the article, “A three-judge panel upheld an order in December by Judge Robert W. Sweet of Federal District Court that required Actavis to keep the older drug, Namenda IR, on the market. Actavis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Schneiderman filed an antitrust lawsuit against Actavis last year after the company said it planned to discontinue Namenda IR in favor of Namenda XR.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

A May 25, 2015 Pharmabiz.com article reported that “Scientists at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida created a novel mouse that exhibits the symptoms and neurodegeneration associated with the most common genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease), both of which are caused by a mutation in the a gene called C9ORF72.”

A May 22, 2015 The Washington Post article highlighted the importance of Down Syndrome research to other diseases including Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “Now a group of researchers is working to call more attention to the connection between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease and better coordinate global research in a way that would benefit everyone. At a workshop convened Thursday and Friday in Chicago, scientists are searching for ways to share existing resources and speed up the search for a cure or effective Alzheimer’s treatments for people with Down Syndrome – whose lifespans have nearly doubled in recent years – and the rest of the population. Among other things, the group is working to improve data collection around the globe on people with Down Syndrome and expand their inclusion in clinical trials. At the same time, the researchers are also trying to ensure that such efforts are done with sensitivity and care with a vulnerable population.”