USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A June 17, 2015 USAgainstAlzheimer’s press statement applauded a proposed $300 million funding increase for Alzheimer’s research in a draft fiscal year 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) funding bill. According to USA2’s George Vradenburg, “We strongly applaud today’s action by the House Appropriations.  The call for an additional $300 million is a meaningful increase in Alzheimer’s research funding and demonstrates a real commitment to addressing this horrific disease. While this is just the first step in a long Appropriations process, it is significant and sets an important maker. We call on all Members of Congress to follow the Appropriations Committee’s lead and will work closely with them as the process unfolds. The additional funding is an important step toward the rapid ramp up to $2 billion a year in research funding for NIH that Alzheimer’s researchers and the NAPA Advisory Council have said is necessary to meet our national goal of stopping Alzheimer’s disease.”

June 17 Politico Pulse: EXPECT PARTISAN BARBS AS HOUSE TAKES UP HEALTH APPROPS BILL — House Republicans are trying to put a positive spin on their health appropriations this year by including extra funding for NIH and the CDC. (ICYMI, POLITICO's David Rogers has everything you need to know about what's in the bill, here: http://politi.co/1QCo4FZ.) Don't expect the extra funding to placate Democrats, though — they're none too pleased about the way this is going. "[This bill] is about helping people. The programs we fund level the playing field for low-income children looking to learn. They help Americans learn the skills they need to find a job in a tough economy. They equip our nation to deal with public health emergencies," ranking member Rosa DeLauro is set to say this morning. You can watch the markup here, beginning at 9 a.m. http://1.usa.gov/1QCofB9 — The criticism is coming in from off the Hill, too. Planned Parenthood Action Forum blasted Republicans for defunding the Title X Family Planning program, saying that could leave 4.6 million without health care. They also criticized provisions they say gut teen pregnancy prevention and sex education. The Alliance for Biosecurity isn't happy with the funding levels for biosecurity preparedness programs. Among those groups that are pretty pleased is USAgainstAlzheimer's, which applauded the $300 million increase for Alzheimer's disease research, NIH and the National Institute on Aging. 

MUST READS

A June 16, 2015 Cure Alzheimer’s Fund blog post highlighted a proposed $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s research in a recently released House Appropriations Subcommittee bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the post, “The bill, which still has to be approved by the Committee and full House, includes a $1.1 billion increase for NIH, a more than 25% increase for the National Institute on Aging (which funds more than 70% of the Alzheimer's disease research at NIH), and calls for an additional $300 million of that increase to be used for Alzheimer's disease research.”

A June 16, 2015 Star Tribune opinion piece by Nancy Wurtzel supported a proposed $300 million increase for Alzheimer's research funding and called for policymakers to invest more in Alzheimer's research. According to Wurtzel, “Alzheimer’s is health crisis like no other. So, why haven’t there been any major breakthroughs? It all comes down to money. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has earmarked $586 million for Alzheimer’s research this year, a fraction of the $5.4 billion allotted to cancer research. The disparity in research funding is shocking. This lack of funds is why we’ve had no real progress in stopping Alzheimer’s disease. But that may be about to change. Right now, Congress is considering adding $300 million to Alzheimer’s NIH funding for the fiscal year 2016. The Alzheimer’s Association has made this research funding increase one of their top federal priorities…Alzheimer’s disease must be stopped. If we don’t find a cure or effective treatments, the disease could bankrupt our healthcare system and derail the economy. Take a stand against Alzheimer’s and for research money. Tell Congress you want Alzheimer’s disease to be a national priority.” Nancy Wurtzel is a public relations professional and creative writer, who recently returned to her native Minnesota after living on the West Coast for many years. 

A June 16, 2015 Huffington Post blog by the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute’s Jan Dougherty highlighted tips for successful Alzheimer’s support groups. According to Dougherty, “Having a facilitator with solid experience and training in Alzheimer's and dementia, who also has the resources to network or consult with knowledgeable, experienced health care professionals will provide added value. This will allow the group to better address the unique needs of each participant. It's also key to have a facilitator who knows how to keep the meetings upbeat and accept participants as they are.” Jan Dougherty is director of family and community services at the Banner Alzheimer's Institute.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

A June 16, 2015 Quartz article reported on drug developer Axovant Sciences' journey from buying a failed Alzheimer’s drug from GlaxoSmithKline to launching the biotech industry’s biggest IPO on record. According to the article, “It was the biggest biotech IPO on record, raising $315 million and generating a $2 billion valuation for a company that is based on a single drug—one that another company had given up on some time ago. It is intended to treat a disease with the highest rate of drug failures (Alzheimer’s), and is based on a method that has failed repeatedly in the past for other drug companies. Still, Axovant and its shareholders seem to be betting on the idea that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the former owner of the drug, completely overlooked a potential blockbuster. GSK presumably has a rigorous process for evaluating the potential and value of drug candidates. It saw how this drug performed in people in phase 2 trials, following an already significant investment, and didn’t think it was worth pursuing. But while the drug failed on its own, it did show a (small) effect when combined with another drug that’s already approved, which is what Axovant is now pursuing.”