According to the
Alzheimer’s Association, as many as 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States today.
[i] Alzheimer's disease, named after its founder, a German physician named Alois Alzheimer, is an illness that damages the nerves in the brain. It gradually destroys a person's memory, judgment, and overall ability to think. As the Baby Boomer generation reaches the age of 65, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will increase to levels that may exceed our ability to cover the added costs of their care. This makes the need for innovative research and new treatments for this devastating disease even greater.
Recognizing the impact that Alzheimer’s disease has on such a large and ever-increasing portion of the population, Innovation.org highlights important and innovative research into new Alzheimer’s disease treatments. Click on the links below to read more about Alzheimer’s disease research.
Introduction to Alzheimer’s DiseaseClick here to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, including existing treatments and progress in current research.
Innovation Insights
Developing new, more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is a high priority for biopharmaceutical companies, physicians, and the patients and families struggling with the degenerative neurological disease. A report from the Alzheimer's Association demonstrates the need for more research and effective treatments to change the current trajectory of Alzheimer's disease in the United States. Read more
Then and Now – Alzheimer’s Disease
If you or a loved one started exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's disease 20 years ago, there were no medicines that you could take. Now there are three different classes of medication available to help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and even slow its progression.
Click here to read more about recent advances in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Medicines in Development for Alzheimer's Disease
Today, America's biopharmaceutical companies are researching 98 medicines for dementia, mostly Alzheimer's, according to a report released by PhRMA. All 98 are either in clinical trials or under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The work indicates a major commitment to Alzheimer's, given that each new medicine costs, on average, more than $1 billion to research and develop.
Read about selected medicines in development for Alzheimer's disease.
Charts
The following charts demonstrate the important role of new medicines in improving life for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Click here to view all of Innovation.org’s charts.
Advances in Treatment
New Medicines Save and Improve LivesNew medicines and vaccines play a significant role in the life expectancy gains made in the United States and around the world and also make it possible to prevent or slow the progress of many diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, avoiding costly hospitalization and invasive surgery. A new Alzheimer's drug slows the progression of cognitive decline, allowing patients to maintain their independence longer.
Read more
New Medicines Control Healthcare Costs
New medicines are helping patients live longer, healthier lives, while simultaneously helping to control overall health care spending by reducing invasive surgeries and expensive stays in the hospital and nursing homes. A study of the effects of a new Alzheimer's medicine on costs in a Medicare managed care plan showed that, although the prescription costs for the group receiving the drug were over $1,000 higher per patient, the overall medical costs fell to $8,056 compared with $11,947 for the group not receiving drug treatment. Read more
The Future of Health Care
When considering the direction that health care will take in the future, one thing is certain: new, innovative medicines may play an increasingly prominent role in the way we improve the quality of care for future generations. New medicines will serve an important role in the prevention, treatment, and management of many diseases suffered by the aging Baby Boomer generation. Diseases such as Alzheimer's represent a growing threat, not only to patients but to our ability to keep health care affordable. Read more
Resources
Medicines in Development Database
Click here to access our medicines in development database, which contains information about drugs currently in clinical trials or at FDA for review across all diseases.
Clinical Trials Resources
Click here to visit our new Clinical Trials Resources page to learn more about ongoing clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and many other conditions in the United States and around the world.
[i]Alzheimer's Association, 2012 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer's & Dementia, Volume 68, Issue 2
