A pivotal moment in Alzheimer's disease and dementia: how global unity of purpose and action can beat the disease by 2025

Abstract

The world is at a pivotal moment in the global fight against Alzheimer's disease, a disease that by 2013 affected 44.4 million people globally and is expected to affect 75.6 million by 2030. France, Australia, Japan, US and Great Britain are among the countries that have adopted national policies to address the growing numbers. Multilateral organizations have also prioritized the disease, and possibly most significantly, the G8, under British Prime Minister David Cameron's leadership, set its focus on dementia starting December 2013. Despite the growing attention, the response has not been commensurate with the urgency of the situation, and we need to promote comprehensive collaboration that catalyzes the development of new treatments, initiates the creation of innovative financial models for research and drives the utilization of technological innovation with the aim to reverse the trajectory of this devastating disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; advocacy; clinical trials; dementia; drug development; national plan; pharmaceuticals; regulatory; research and development.