Washington, DC (May 20, 2025) – Yesterday, a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee held a budget hearing to discuss the proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services. During the hearing, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy made false comments around Alzheimer’s disease research, saying, “The NIH went off the rails on Alzheimer’s research 20 years ago. One of the favorite researchers of the old boys club at NIH developed a hypothesis that Alzheimer’s was caused by amyloid plaque buildups. After that, NIH suppressed any science, refused to fund any science [that is] an alternative hypothesis.” 

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s issued the following statement in response:

“While UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is grateful for Secretary Kennedy’s commitment to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it is dangerous to spread factually incorrect information around existing research and progress toward cures. A claim that NIH has blocked scientific progress misrepresents the reality of Alzheimer’s research in two ways. 

For one, research focused on amyloid beta accounts for less than 14% of the total over the last 10 years. But more importantly for patients, this research has led to two FDA-approved drugs that have shown significant progress in giving patients and families more time together. These treatments were proven effective through large, carefully conducted clinical trials.

Misinformation like the Secretary’s remarks takes attention away from the real progress being made and undermines the credibility of an entire field of dedicated researchers who work tirelessly to explore promising approaches to treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

Thanks to strong bipartisan support in Congress, Alzheimer’s research has received historic increases in federal research funding—fueling progress toward better treatments, care, and, ultimately, a cure. This investment is helping researchers move faster and giving families more hope than ever before.  We must prioritize scientific integrity and collaboration to ensure patients and families have the accurate information they need to make informed decisions about their health.

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is grateful to the Senate Appropriations Committee for their continued attention to appropriately funding the Department of Health & Human Services.