MUST READS

A December 4, 2015 The Des Moines Register article highlighted increased political interest in supporting caregivers. According to the article, “Great news — presidential candidates are starting to seriously talk about issues that will at some point affect almost all of us: caring for our loved ones who are unable to care for themselves. It’s been a long time coming. More than 25 years ago, a Congressional Commission issued a report that warned that the nation’s health and long-term care system was nearing a “breaking point” in its ability to meet the needs of aging Americans and people with disabilities.”

A December 4, 2015 The New York Times article reported on the impact of caregiving on the careers and work of caregivers. According to the article, “We often hear family leave called “maternity leave.” But an estimated 34 million Americans cared for someone over age 50 in the past year, and the majority were employed, according to the latest caregiving study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. These workers face a particularly difficult juggling act. Child care, for those fortunate enough to have healthy kids, becomes reasonably predictable over time, aside from the inevitable ear infections and transient illnesses. Elder care, however, takes life-altering turns without warning: the crippling fall, the massive stroke. An older person’s need for assistance generally rises; given increased life spans, some workers will care for their parents longer and more intensively than they did their children…We know that employees with caregiving responsibilities struggle to hold onto their jobs. Among workers providing care for adults over age 50, half reported getting to work late, leaving early or taking time off, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving reported.”

A December 4, 2015 Forbes.com article highlighted the Forbes Healthcare Summit and the industry’s focus on pricing, innovation, and reputation. According to the article, “Merck’s Frazier closed the panel, drawing a distinction between innovation (perhaps an unfortunate, overused word) and genuine invention. Not to take anything away from the technology industry, he said, there’s a lot of innovation that makes your cell phone marginally more useful, but if someone comes up with a cure for Alzheimer’s disease that’s an unprecedented development that should be regarded as a wholly different sort of advance – an invention of the first order.”

A December 4, 2015 The Motley Food article reported that Eli Lilly “will host an investor day on Dec. 8 and its Alzheimer's drug pipeline is one of the topics the company plans to cover in its presentation.” According to the article, “Because a staggering 99% of Alzheimer's drugs entering human trials have failed, the bar is set pretty high for both Eli Lilly and Biogen. However, if Eli Lilly can overcome those odds and finally prove that solanezumab works, it could win FDA approval for solanezumab in 2017, and if so, solanezumab could be in the pole position to catch a big chunk of what industry watchers believe will be a megabillion-dollar market. For that reason alone, investors might want to tune into Eli Lilly's presentation next week.”

NOTABLE LOSS 

A December 4, 2015 The Washington Post obituary noted the loss of engineer and innovator Joseph F. Engelberger to Alzheimer’s. According to the profile, “Joseph F. Engelberger, who revolutionized assembly lines around the world by introducing the industrial robot, an innovation that he hoped would one day transform daily life for the elderly and the infirm, died Dec. 1 at his home in Newtown, Conn.”