"...Fiscal hawks in the Bush Administration and Congress, rightly concerned about spiraling debt, have been working to squeeze savings out of the NIH and the FDA. That's understandable but misguided. A broader strategic view that would save both lives and money suggests that we should be devoting far more attention to finding a breakthrough to end Alzheimer's. At a minimum we should provide increased, consistent funding to researchers investigating new approaches. We should also increase funding to the FDA--but with the charge that it dramatically reduce the time it takes to evaluate prospective Alzheimer's therapies. With more than 100 trials currently under way, the faster researchers learn which approaches produce the best results, the better they can focus their efforts.
The good news is that while the new Congress and the Administration have inherited this massive problem, they do have the power to quickly set things right. And this is certainly a bold, coherent agenda that both Republicans and Democrats should be able to embrace.
Can we find a cure? While there are no guarantees, recent advances offer grounds for optimism. Neuroscience researchers are making significant discoveries, and improved imaging technologies are giving us a much deeper understanding of the disease mechanism, and with it, potential solutions. But to capitalize on these advances, we need a new federal resolve to truly defeat Alzheimer's. As America's largest generation ages, we have no time to lose."
I see perhaps a dozen people a day who've been afflicted with one form of age related dementia or another, and since I've been working with seniors there are those I met who at first could recite the Declaration of Independance without missing a beat, and in the span of but several months cannot remember the face of a loved one. Then there are the ones 100+ years of age who remain as sharp as the proverbial tack.
Find a cure or even a temporary prophalactic, and you can write your own ticket.
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