MUST READS

An October 21, 2015 Boston Business Journal article reported that “Biogen, along with some of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical industry, is investing in a new $100 million venture fund aimed at making new drugs and diagnostic tests available by 2025 to address the looming global health care problem of our time, Alzheimer’s disease.” According to the article, “Cambridge-based Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB), the biggest drug maker headquartered in Massachusetts, will be one of the initial investors in the fund, along with British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Pfizer and Eli Lilly. British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose 2013 G8 Dementia Summit in London sparked the idea for the group, pledged about $22 million a year ago to start the fund.”

An October 20, 2015 St. Louis Post-Dispatch opinion piece by Dr. Roberto Civitelli and Dr. Steven Teitelbaum called on Congress to increase spending for federal science agencies to drive innovations and solutions for diseases like Alzheimer’s. According to the authors, “Scientific research is the most powerful tool we have against disease. Discoveries made in the lab today are vital in developing new treatments for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporotic fractures and other conditions affecting our community…We urge Missouri’s congressional delegation to complete its work and pass a 2016 spending bill that includes increases for federal science agencies. If Congress doesn’t act, critical research will be disrupted, and those who are waiting for cures will pay the price.” Dr. Roberto Civitelli is a Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and Dr. Steven Teitelbaum is a Professor of pathology and immunology, Washington University School of Medicine. 

An October 20, 2015 The Washington Post article reported on the efforts of advocates to push caregiving onto the 2016 presidential campaign agenda. According to the article, “It’s not a hot-button campaign topic like immigration or national security, but as the United States faces a looming crisis in family caregiving, advocates are pushing to make the issue visible on the political landscape during this election campaign season…Caring for a relative exacts a financial toll, both in terms of lost income and additional expenses. Those who care for people with Alzheimer’s disease typically spend more than $50,000 a year on expenses related to their duties.”

An October 20, 2015 The Journal of the American Medical Association posthighlighted new figures on the global toll of dementia. According to the article, “Almost 47 million people around the world have some form of dementia, a number that is projected to double every 20 years, according to the “World Alzheimer Report 2015, The Global Impact of Dementia: An Analysis of Prevalence, Incidence, Cost, and Trends” (http://bit.ly/1LxgPfL).”

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT 

An October 19, 2015 LillyPad.com blog post highlighted Lilly’s efforts to put Alzheimer’s in the spotlight during its annual day of service in Switzerland. According to the post, “This year, Lilly Switzerland decided to give each employee the opportunity to spend one day during the year with the Geneva Alzheimer’s Association. Worldwide, about 47.5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. We live and build our lives based on our experiences and the relationships we create, but slowly people with Alzheimer’s Disease lose pieces of their story. This is a painful, destabilizing process for those affected and for their loved ones—and one I can deeply relate to, as my aunt is affected by Alzheimer’s Disease.”