ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Biopharmaceutical Research Companies
Are Developing More Than 85 Medicines for
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease devastates the minds of patients, creates substantial burdens for families and
caregivers and costs the United States billions of dollars each year. According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today. By 2050, that
number could be as high as 16 million if there is no new breakthrough to prevent or treat the
disease.
Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have increased 89 percent since 2000, while deaths from
heart disease decreased 14 percent in that same time. It is estimated that Alzheimer’s and
other dementias will cost the U.S. health care system more than $259 billion in 2017, with costs
potentially increasing to $1.1 trillion by 2050. There is hope that even modest progress in treating
Alzheimer’s disease can drastically change this trajectory. If a new medicine could delay the onset
of Alzheimer’s disease by five years, roughly $367 billion annually in long-term care and other
health care costs could be avoided by 2050.2
America’s biopharmaceutical companies are committed to combatting this devastating disease,
with 87 potential new treatments3 in clinical trials today. However, the path from research to a new
medicine is extremely long and complex with many setbacks along the way, particularly in the
case of Alzheimer’s. Scientists have made progress in unraveling the complexities of the brain and
identifying the underpinnings of Alzheimer’s, but finding an effective treatment remains a daunting
challenge.
Between 1998 and 2014, 123 potential medicines for Alzheimer’s were halted in clinical trials,
while just four medicines were approved.4 Though deeply frustrating, these research setbacks
are critical in advancing knowledge and laying the foundation for future successes. All the while,
biopharmaceutical researchers remain steadfast in advancing research for this devastating disease.
ALZHEIMERS MEDICINES IN THE PIPELINE
Medicines currently available for Alzheimer’s disease treat the symptoms of the disease—
helping to address memory loss, confusion and problems with thinking – but do not affect
the underlying causes of the disease and do not slow the rate of decline.5 Current research
is focused on disease-modifying treatments that may stop or slow down disease progression
by targeting one or more of the brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s. These targets include
beta-amyloid plaques that appear between nerve cells, tau protein tangles that damage and
kill brain cells and a receptor that decreases a neurotransmitter necessary for the brain to think
and function normally. Potential medicines are also aimed at decreasing inflammation in the
brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s and targeting the immune system to enable it to fight
the disease. Researchers are also investigating ways to prevent the disease in patients with
gene mutations associated with Alzheimer’s.Welcome to contact with us.
Email:info@pharmnatura.com
Phone: +852 3050 1772
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