The Alzheimer's Impact Movement applauds the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee for its announcement of a proposed $400 million increase for Alzheimer's disease research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Spearheaded by Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), this is the second year the subcommittee has taken momentous action towards ending the Alzheimer's epidemic.
"The Alzheimer's Impact Movement joins the Alzheimer's Association in commending the subcommittee for their bipartisan effort to secure this significant increase which will enable critical Alzheimer's research to move forward at an accelerating pace," said Robert Egge, Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. "This research funding increase moves us closer to a breakthrough for Alzheimer's, the most expensive disease in the United States. We look forward to continuing to work with leaders in Congress to effectively address this national priority."
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, the only leading cause of death in the U.S. without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression. In addition to the physical and emotional devastation of the disease, Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in the nation at a cost of $236 billion annually.
With the unanimous passage of the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) and the release of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease, the federal government committed to a clear goal to "prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025." If signed into law, today's increase would bring Alzheimer's research funding past the halfway mark to the at least $2 billion a year experts agree is necessary to meet this first goal of the National Alzheimer's Plan. Meeting the 2025 deadline would mean saving millions of lives and trillions of dollars.
