ACampaignAgainstAlzheimer'sDisease.doc

Lastweek,theUnitedStatesgovernmentannouncedamajoreducationandresearchcampaignagainstAlzheimer'sdisease.Thebrain-wastingdiseasehasnocure.Theplanincludesmoreeffortstodevelopdrugstopreventit.IntheUnitedStates,morethanfivemillionpeoplehaveAlzheimer'sorsomeotherformofdementia.Asthepopulationgetsolder,thenumberisexpectedtoreachalmosteightmillionbytwenty-thirty.Bythen,expertssayAlzheimer'sandotherdementiadisorderscouldaffectasmanyassixty-sixmillionpeopleworldwide.ThenationalAlzheimer'splancallsonscientiststodeveloptreatmentstopreventthediseasebytwentytwenty-five.OfficialsattheNationalInstitutesofHealthhavepromisedfiftymilliondollarstohelpsupportthateffort.NIHheldaconferenceofthenation'stopAlzheimer'sresearcherswhereNIHDirectorFrancisCollinsdiscussedtheplan.FRANCISCOLLINS:"Wehavelearnedmoreaboutthisdiseaseinthelastcoupleofyearsthanprobablyeverbefore.Andnowthegoalistotakethatandtranslateitintointerventions."Earlynextyear,scientistsattheBannerAlzheimer'sInstituteinArizonaplantobeginhumantestingofanexperimentaldrug.Thedrugiscalledcrenezumab,andthehopeisitwillpreventAlzheimer's.ThestudywillinvolvemembersofalargeextendedfamilylivinginvillagesintheMedellinareainColombia.Someofthefamilymembershaveararegeneticdisorderthatcausesthemtogetearly-onsetAlzheimer's.Theybegintoshowsignsofmentallossintheirmid-fortiesandfullydevelopthediseasebytheirearlyfifties.Threehundredpeoplehaveagreedtobeinthestudy.One-thirdofthemwillreceivecrenezumab.Theotherswillbegivenaplacebo,apillthatdoesnotcontainanydrug.Theywillnotknowiftheyhavebeengiventhedrugortheplacebo.ThestudywillalsoincludeasmallernumberofpeopleintheUnitedStates.PierreTariotwillhelpleadthestudy,knownasahumantrial.Hesaysallofthepeoplehavebeeninformedthatthedrugmightnotworkorthattheymightreceiveaplacebo.Mr.Tariotsaysthepeoplestillwantedtobeinthestudy.PIERRETARIOT:"Theyhavebeenfacedwiththisdevastatingillnesshittingeverygenerationforhundredsofyears.Asoneofthemputit,'Therearemanyriverstocrossbutatleastwe'reatthefirstbank.'Andthat'skindoftheattit