October 1, 2018

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Join our next Alzheimer's Talks with Professor Claude Wischik, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of TauRx Therapeutics. Thursday, October 4, at 11am (EST). We will discuss the structure and role of tau in the development of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as the search for a treatment based on this approach.

MUST READS

A September 30, 2018 CBS News Sunday Morning broadcast feature segmentspotlighted media mogul Ted Turner, who recently revealed he has Lewy body dementia, the second most-common progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. According to Turner, “It’s a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer’s. It’s similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer’s is fatal. Thank goodness I don’t have that. But, I also have got, let’s — the one that’s — I can’t remember the name of it… Dementia. I can’t remember what my disease is.” Also covered by USA Today and others.

A September 28, 2018 AlzForum post reported that a spending bill was signed into law that allocates $2.34 billion to Alzheimer’s research funding for fiscal year 2019.  Next year’s AD budget tops 2018’s by $425 million.  Also covered by Middletown Patch

DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

According to a September 27, 2018 UC San Diego News Center press release, The National Institute on Aging (NIA) awarded a five-year, $4 million grant to boost the number of Latino and underrepresented minority researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. According to the article, “Research investigating the effects and impact of AD within this demographic has historically been minimal. “Evidence shows this group is getting left behind in Alzheimer’s research and treatment, for many reasons,” said Hector González, PhD, associate professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “We need to address this disparity now, before it becomes impossible to keep up with.”” Also covered by Medical Xpress

INDUSTRY UPDATE

A September 28, 2018 Outsourcing Pharma article referenced the new “Researching Alzheimer’s Medicines: Setbacks and Stepping Stones” reportfrom PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America). 92 new Alzheimer’s disease drugs are in clinical development. According to Samantha Budd Haeberlein of Biogen, “We were trying to build the plane at the same time as flying it. Now knowing as much about the disease, we weren’t addressing the right targets, we weren’t handling the best molecules to address those targets.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

An October 1, 2018 Medical Xpress article looked to findings from a new RAND Corporation study that healthcare systems in some European countries lack the capacity to rapidly move a disease-modifying Alzheimer's disease treatment into widespread clinical use. According to the article, “Some nations have too few medical specialists and may require additional training of health providers to evaluate early-stage Alzheimer's patients. Another shortcoming is that there are too few facilities with capacity to deliver infusion treatments to patients. The burden of Alzheimer's disease in high-income countries is expected to nearly double between 2015 and 2050.”