In what could shape up to be great news for Alzheimer’s research, the Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a historic 60 percent increase, or about $350 million, for Alzheimer’s disease research. If passed into law, it would be the largest increase in funding to date.
As summarized by the Alzheimer’s Association, the call for increased funding was led by the Labor, Health and Human Service, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee, in particular by Chairman Roy Blunt and Ranking Minority Member Patty Murray.
“…Subcommittee Chairman Blunt and Ranking Member Murray are making history,” Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, said. “More importantly, they are demonstrating to the millions of Americans affected by this devastating and fatal disease that they will not suffer indefinitely.”
As the Alzheimer’s Association states in their release, the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act, enacted into law in December 2014, creates a formal process to ensure that scientific judgment guides Congress in determining future Alzheimer’s research funding. In FY 2017, the National Institutes of Health will start submitting a Professional Judgment Budget for Alzheimer’s disease research each year until 2025.
The budget will reflect the state of Alzheimer’s knowledge and the investments required in research as identified by leading scientists. The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease has the goal to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025.
As noted by the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that does not have a way to prevent or cure its progression. Alzheimer’s research currently receives $586 million per year.