A pivotal moment in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: how global unity of purpose and action can beat the disease by 2025

Abstract

The world is at a pivotal moment in the global fight against Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that by 2013 affected 44.4 million people globally and is expected to affect 75.6 million by 2030. France, Australia, Japan, US and Great Britain are among the countries that have adopted national policies to address the growing numbers. Multilateral organizations have also prioritized the disease, and possibly most significantly, the G8, under British Prime Minister David Cameron’s leadership, set its focus on dementia starting December 2013. Despite the growing attention, the response has not been commensurate with the urgency of the situation, and we need to promote comprehensive collaboration that catalyzes the development of new treatments, initiates the creation of innovative financial models for research and drives the utilization of technological innovation with the aim to reverse the trajectory of this devastating disease.

Keywords:

• advocacy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• clinical trials
• dementia
• drug development
• national plan
• pharmaceuticals
• regulatory
• research and development

View correction statement:

Erratum

Financial & competing interests disclosure

G Vradenburg is the Co- Founder and Chairman of US Against Alzheimer's, a 501c3 non-profit organization that receives charitable donations from a wide range of organizations and companies, and the convener of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease, whose memberships includes companies and NGOs committed to finding a cure for the disease by 2025, including pharmaceuticals, financial service companies, home care service providers, and health care systems. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Over 530 million people worldwide (7.7% of the population) are above the age of 60. By 2050, that number will surge to 2 billion people worldwide (15.6% of the population).

• One-in-nine people aged over 65 years and nearly one-in-two aged over 85 years – will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

• The annual cost of AD in the US will reach a projected US$ 1.2 trillion by 2050.

• Due to the nature of the disease and impact on the family finances, AD has become the most feared disease – more than cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis combined.

• Clinical trial failure rate for late-stage AD and dementia therapies from 2002 to 2012 was an incredible 99.6%.

• Compared with HIV/AIDS, the AD and dementia movement is still in its infancy.

• Since 2011, there have been a number of key international events that are changing the landscape for AD and dementia advocacy. The G8 Dementia Summit held in London in December 2013 has catalyzed a number of international legacy events focused on finding a cure, accelerating research, and improving care for those living with the disease.

• To ensure that this pivotal moment is captured to reverse the trajectory of this devastating disease, leading governments and multi-government organizations and other stakeholders must aim to accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs, develop innovative research financial models and leverage technological innovation.