UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Statement on President Obama’s 2017 Budget

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Lack of continued prioritization of Alzheimer’s research unfortunate and disappointing

Washington, DC – UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, an innovative non-profit organization demanding and delivering a solution to Alzheimer’s, expressed disappointment in the Administration’s FY 2017 Budget, which fails to provide the necessary resources for Alzheimer’s research to prevent and treat the disease by 2025, our national goal.

The Fiscal Year 2017 budget provides flat funding for the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the lead institute focused on Alzheimer’s research within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Following is a statement by George Vradenburg, Chairman and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

“In his final year in office, President Obama had the opportunity to build upon Congress’s historic infusion of $350 million boost for Alzheimer’s research in FY 2016 to make real progress toward addressing the only leading cause of death that is still on the rise. It’s unfortunate and disappointing that this budget fails to do that. By level funding Alzheimer’s and dementia research, the budget falls far short of the resources we need to meet our national goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by 2025.”

“That said, we’re heartened by the strong bipartisan support in Congress that resulted in a major increase in research funding in the final fiscal year 2016 budget. We will work with members of both the House and Senate through the Congressional budget process to ensure that there is a significant increase in funding for Alzheimer’s research again this year.”

“Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias pose a grave threat to the health and well-being of our nation. More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today, a number that is projected to increase to 14 million by 2050. Alzheimer’s and other dementias also cost an estimated $226 billion a year, including $153 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. At a time when the United States is spending more than $200 billion to care for Alzheimer’s patients, we are spending substantially less than one percent per year on Alzheimer’s research.”

“Alzheimer’s is a cancer-sized crisis. It deserves a cancer-sized solution. As we have before, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and our army of activists will make our voices heard and will fight for an increased investment to treat and prevent this horrific disease.”

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UsAgainstAlzheimer’s 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 group, 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.

Contact: Ranit Schmelzer
202-538-1065
[email protected]