WASHINGTON, D.C., December 7, 2016 - Following action taken by the House of Representatives, the Senate today voted to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, which would secure additional funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Impact Movement (AIM), along with the Alzheimer's Association, has supported this legislation since its introduction. President Obama is expected to sign it into law later this week.
The 21st Century Cures Act increases NIH funding for two important programs that advance research that could lead to breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease. First, it provides $1.6 billion over the next 10 years for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, which works to accelerate development and implementation of innovative technologies to treat, cure, and prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer's. The 21st Century Cures Act also secures $1.5 billion over the 10 years for the Precision Medicine Initiative, which seeks to advance research to accelerate biomedical discoveries and provide clinicians with new information to select treatments that work best in individual patients.
"The passage of the 21st Century Cures Act is an important step in the fight to end Alzheimer's and other major diseases," said Robert Egge, AIM Executive Director. "This legislation provides much needed funding that will allow for more innovative and exploratory research. We must have a much better understanding of how the brain actually works so that we can unlock new approaches to treating, preventing, or curing Alzheimer's disease."
The 21st Century Cures Act will further advance critical research through the inclusion of the Ensuring Useful Research Expenditures is Key for Alzheimer's (EUREKA) Act, which encourages public-private partnerships in disease research. Sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Representatives John Duncan (R-TN) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), the EUREKA Prize Competitions will help bring new cures to families quickly and effectively.
The 21st Century Cures Act was introduced by Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA). AIM, the Alzheimer's Association and our advocates worked hard over the past two years to grow support for the 21st Century Cures Act and the EUREKA Act.
For more information on the Alzheimer's Impact Movement, visit alzimpact.org.
