UsA2 grateful for the immense efforts of researchers and clinical trial participants
WASHINGTON, DC (September 27, 2017) – Following today’s announcement that intepirdine, a drug developed by Axovant Sciences, failed to slow the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in a large trial, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s emphasized that while this news is a setback for the millions of people around the world with Alzheimer’s and dementias, the pipeline could see more successful results in the near future.
“While the news today is not what any of us wanted to hear, we want to offer our heartfelt appreciation to the entire Axovant team, including the tens of thousands of researchers and clinical trials coordinators, in its steadfast commitment, leadership, and unwavering resolve to work to vanquish this complex disease,” said George Vradenburg, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Co-Founder and Chairman. “We have the utmost gratitude to the clinical trials participants and their families, and we are more focused than ever to sustain this fight. The first person to be cured of Alzheimer’s is someone who will have been in a clinical trial, and we must continue to engage more people to actively participate in clinical research.
“While today’s Alzheimer’s disease drug pipeline has been marred by more than a decade of high failure rates, due to the complex nature of Alzheimer’s, as well as public underinvestment in research, every step in the process – even a setback – brings us closer to a cure. Just as we have before, we will keep working incessantly, passionately, and strategically so that the next round in this fight goes to us.”
Despite today’s results, there are more promising innovations on the horizon. An analysis of the Phase III Alzheimer’s drug pipeline, conducted by ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s (RA2), shows that there are now 22 Alzheimer’s drugs in Phase III clinical trials, 18 of which may be on track to launch in the next five years. According to the analysis, a diverse pipeline requires a standing, high-performance clinical trial infrastructure that allows for rapid testing and, thus, fast failure or success.
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2) will continue to work zealously for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and their caregivers, so that a means to prevent, slow and stop Alzheimer’s becomes a reality. UsA2 works collaboratively with industry partners to see near- and long-term progress against this destructive disease.
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UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2) is an innovative non-profit organization demanding – and delivering – a solution to Alzheimer’s. Driven by the suffering of millions of families, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s presses for greater urgency from government, industry and the scientific community in the quest for an Alzheimer's cure – accomplishing this through effective leadership, collaborative advocacy, and strategic investments.
Founded in 2010, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s has worked across sectors to: (1) secure the national goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s by 2025 and help secure nearly $500 million in additional public funding for Alzheimer’s research over the past few years; (2) drive global efforts that resulted in the leaders of the world’s most powerful nations, the G7, to embrace a similar 2025 goal and to call for greater levels of research investment and collaboration; and (3) forge industry commitments to improve efficiencies for an expedited drug discovery and approval process. More information can be found at: http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/.
Contact:
Ranit Schmelzer
202-538-1065