USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A March 4, 2018 The Post and Courier article spotlighted the story of Vernon Williams, who is African-American and has Alzheimer’s disease. Figures show that African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to get the disease, yet much less likely to participate in clinical trials (just 7 percent of participants). Williams enrolled in a clinical trial to buck this trend. AfricanAmericansAgainstAlzheimer's director Stephanie Monroe weighs in. “…Universities and hospitals are not doing enough to recruit African-Americans into trials. She said researchers may still not believe that recruitment is part of their role. Outreach is still lacking in churches, community health centers and other places where the black community might congregate, she said. At doctors' offices, African-Americans don’t see themselves represented.”

A March 4, 2018 STAT opinion piece by Dr. Howard Fillit lauds the FDA’s newly drafted standards for evaluating new drugs for Alzheimer’s and other neurologic diseases. The modernized standards, called for last year by Fillit and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Co-Founder and Chairman George Vradenburg (subscription required), will no longer require AD clinical trials to show improvement on two endpoints (cognition and function). The FDA’s draft guidelines outline three stages of early Alzheimer’s, and offer guidance on drug development for each.

Congrats to “Coco” for its 2018 Best Animated Feature Film Oscar win. Coco offers a moving portrayal of dementia and caregiving in Latino families. LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s is leading a social media campaign encouraging families to share their stories about the Coco in their lives with the hashtag #WhosYourCoco.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

According to a March 2, 2018 NY Daily News article, the drug Tideglusib, which has been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease, promotes natural tooth regrowth. It stimulates stem cells in teeth, creating new dentine. "Using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease provides a real opportunity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics," said lead study author Paul Sharpe. Also covered by: The Telegraph and Brinkwire. 

CAREGIVING CORNER

A March 2, 2018 The New York Times article by writer Lisa Solod shared how her mom’s Alzheimer’s disease is making room for love in their once contentious relationship. According to Solod, “This final de-escalation, this profound helplessness, this agony of watching the endless end, is what helps me finally really, unconditionally, love her… I tell her I love her several times a day. She doesn’t really look at me. She has no idea who I am and hasn’t since the illness and trauma that made the move from the lockdown Alzheimer’s unit at her assisted care facility to this nursing home necessary. This is not just a nursing home, it is the homestretch. It’s an endless loop of instant replay.”

INDUSTRY UPDATE

A March 4, 2018 News OK article featured Dr. Jordan Tang, who developed a method designed to stop the buildup of amyloid brain plaques while working for Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation almost 20 years ago. Merck licensed the research and developed an anti-amyloid drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Last month Merck announced they were abandoning their trial based on Tang’s work. According to the article, “This latest news from Merck carried a certain ominous finality. With no other treatments stemming from Dr. Tang's discoveries in the pipeline, the dream of an Alzheimer's drug born from his research appears at an end.”