WASHINGTON, DC, November 15, 2016 – A multigenerational movement to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, buoyed by the partnership of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s  and a host of national, state and local Alzheimer’s-serving organizations, was catalyzed during this fall’s National Alzheimer’s Summit in Washington, DC, proving to be a decisive moment in a fight against a disease that is the nation’s third-leading cause of death.  

As the United States readies for a new Administration and Congress, the movement is poised to strengthen and further effect change by advancing increases in research funding, advocating for a new high-speed clinical trial system, mobilizing American families, promoting research into effective care and support programs, and increasing engagement of the physician community.

“The movement embodies the urgency and passion felt by tens of millions of families touched by this disease,” said UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Co-Founder and Chairman George Vradenburg. “This is a not a top-down movement, with a single leader. We are demanding the commitment of global, national and local community organizations, working collaboratively to achieve the cure to this disease. This is a cancer-sized problem requiring a cancer-sized response. We are proud to be a part of this unified movement made up of so many individuals and organizations.”

Eleven state and local organizations throughout the United States, serving metropolitan areas of approximately 53,000,000 people – embodying 17 percent of the U.S. population – were instrumental in galvanizing momentum for the Summit and providing a strong, unified voice for this multifaceted and dynamic movement.

Adding volume to the many voices of the movement are prominent organizations in several major coalitions, including the patient-powered industry coalition Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s, the clinical-trial reform initiative called Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation and the 95-member Alzheimer’s-serving  coalition, Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease (LEAD).

 “Dementia, in all its forms, is our shared responsibility as individuals, families, communities and countries. How we respond to the existential threat of dementia speaks to our character and our wisdom,” said Ian Kremer, Executive Director of the LEAD Coalition. “We owe it to those facing dementia today and those who should not have to face dementia in the future to be bold now and undaunted as we move forward in a united movement. Just as the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, the arc of our movement bends toward ending dementia.”

In total, attending the Summit were more than 425 leaders, spanning 135 different organizations across various sectors. The three-day event (see video) included the “Diversifying the Race for a Cure and Care: the 2016 Alzheimer's and Dementia Disparities Convening,” which formulated the first-ever community driven action plan to increase awareness, understanding and action on Alzheimer’s disease among communities of color.

In addition, the Annual Out of the Shadows Dinner featured a live presentation from First Lady Laura Bush, as well as remarks from all living First Ladies, an acknowledgment of how the movement to defeat Alzheimer’s extends beyond party lines.

 “The UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Summit brought much-needed awareness of Alzheimer's, the need for people to join studies and of the importance of finding a cure – not a fix, a cure,” said Gurteen Schiavo, who represented the voice of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia during a powerful Summit session.

 “The Summit was a phenomenal opportunity to share how concerned millennials are that one disease (Alzheimer’s) will bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid in the ensuing decades,” said Nihal Satyadev, CEO and Co-Founder of The Youth Movement Against Alzheimer's. “Our generation should not have to age without appropriate health care coverage.”

On the final day of the Summit, advocates representing nearly half of U.S. states visited more than 120 House and Senate offices, advocating for the needs of people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Among their priorities, which are also focal points of the movement, were the following:

• Increasing annual federal investment in research and funding to a minimum of $2 billion, creating a trajectory of investment toward funding levels commensurate with other deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer and at least one percent of total government spending on care for those with the disease. 
• Building a faster and more efficient clinical trial system, so that the promising pipeline of innovative medicines – there are now 23 drugs in Stage III clinical trials – can reach those in need more rapidly.
• Ensuring that the physicians and payers are ready to provide access to new therapies when they clear the regulatory process.
• Creating awareness about the growing impact of the disease, including its disproportionate effect on women and communities of color.
• Mobilizing stakeholders to engage with lawmakers and advocate on behalf of caregivers. 

 “Caring for a relative with Alzheimer’s is exhausting and difficult work, at significant cost to the country and the well-being of the millions of families affected,” said Jed A. Levine, CaringKind Executive Vice President and Director of Programs and Services. “CaringKind is proud to be a part of this national movement and strongly supports legislation that will benefit caregivers.”

During National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in November and beyond, the reach of this movement will continue to build across the country, with more organizations and among a greater number of influencers. Led by UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, its partners and passionate individuals, the movement’s mission to push for more funding, drive medical solutions and decrease disparities in communities of color will become even more apparent.

“The Summit coalesced disparate individual components into a united movement that will not rest until a cure is uncovered and becomes available for all people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and we make Alzheimer’s a memory,” said David Morgan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer Institute.

Join the movement and the fight against Alzheimer’s.  

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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 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tim Tassa
Phone: 202-263-2580
Email: [email protected]