A blueprint to defeat dementia

Dr Matthew Norton, Head of Policy and

Public Affairs

How do we defeat dementia?

Causes

Diagnosis

Prevention

Treatments

Our progress to date

• Helped shape the current understanding of dementia: our funding underpinning the discovery of 21 of the 22 known Alzheimer’s risk genes

• Our investigation into the dangers of antipsychotic drug over-prescription saved countless lives

• Our funding is allowing Prof Rick Livesey at University of Cambridge develop a technique to turn skin cells from patients into functioning nerve cells in the lab. These cells recreate many of the fundamental features of Alzheimer’s in a matter of days rather than decades. Over the past year, his research has been transforming how we study Alzheimer’s in the lab and providing new and efficient screening methods for new drugs

Development of new treatments

• Current treatments help with symptoms

Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine

There are no treatments that can slow or stop the disease process

To develop such treatments, we must• UNDERSTAND the disease• find suitable TARGETS for treatments• test the treatment in the right PEOPLE at the right TIME

Defeat Dementia£100 million, 5 years, a blueprint to defeat dementia

ARUK research strategy: 2014

Basic research intodisease mechanisms

Targeted research intocritical disease mechanisms

Clinical research to find better ways to assess and diagnose dementia diseases

New potential targetsfor drugs

New ways to assessdrug effects on disease

1946 CohortLongitudinal study of AD to define disease trajectory and identify subjects suitable for entering trials for new and existing drugs

Clinical proof on concept study in selected populations

Effective drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias – right drug, right patient, right time.

Investigational drugs

ARUK Dementia Consortium.

ARUKDrug Discovery

Institute

ARUK Stem Cell Institute

Crack-itUntangle

New potential targetsfor drugs – world wide

ARUK funding

Innovation in research

ARUK Drug Discovery Institute

International partnerships

G8 Dementia Summit, December 2013

The G8 countries announced:

• Identify a cure or a disease-modifying therapy for dementia by 2025 and to increase collectively and significantly the amount of funding for dementia research to reach that goal.

• Appoint a global Dementia Innovation Envoy

UK legacy event, June 2014

The UK-led event will focus on the execution timeline and plan towards a Global Dementia Innovation Fund to:

• stimulate greater social impact investment and innovation in dementia research

• improve the prevention and treatment of dementia

• improve quality of life for people with dementia and their carers

World Dementia Council

Chaired by Dementia Innovation Envoy, Dr Dennis Gillings

‘The council aims to stimulate innovation, development and commercialisation of life enhancing drugs, treatments and care for people with dementia, or at risk of dementia, within a generation.

It will provide independent, non-governmental advocacy and global leadership. The views expressed by the council will be independent of any government and not representative of government policy.’

Key functions will be co-ordination and investment

• Regulatory barriers

• Revise investment incentives

• Develop use of big data

The difference we can make

Delaying onset for 5 years: The impact for people with dementia

Delaying onset for 5 years : cost to UK economy

Slowing progression: the impact for people with dementia

Thank-youm.norton@alzheimersresearchuk.org