AARP joins Disrupt Dementia Fund campaign

AARP-With nearly 10 million new cases of dementia and Alzheimer's disease occurring each year, and no cure, AARP has launched a new campaign, "Disrupt Dementia."

The campaign aims to help drive new diagnostics and treatments for dementias while providing education and support for patients and family caregivers impacted by the physical, emotional, and financial stress of dementia.

The centerpiece of the campaign is AARP's new $60 million investment in the Dementia Discovery Fund, the first and largest venture fund focused on discovering and developing effective new drugs for treating dementia. AARP also helped secure the participation of UnitedHealth Group and Quest Diagnostics, which have invested $10 million and $5 million, respectively, totaling $75 million to the fund's fight against a condition that has not seen a new approved drug in 15 years.

"AARP's mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age, but dementia takes that privilege away from millions of Americans and people around the world," says AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. "The statistics are staggering, and the numbers continue to climb each year."

By 2030, there are projected to be 82 million people suffering from dementia, Jenkins says.

"Despite decades of research costing billions of dollars, there is still no cure and few ways to treat symptoms of dementia," she contends. "AARP and our partners have committed to helping find innovative solutions that can reverse the trend of this health crisis and champion brain health."

A newly released AARP survey of U.S. physicians shows that doctors also are frustrated with the limited tools available to diagnose and treat dementia for their patients. One in three U.S. physicians surveyed say they feel that current dementia treatment options are poor, and nearly half of physicians strongly agree that there needs to be more diagnostic tools and research for dementia.

Moreover, there isn't significant optimism among physicians for progress anytime soon. Only 10 percent say they are extremely or very optimistic that effective treatment protocols will emerge in the next five years.

The last Alzheimer's drug was approved more than a decade and a half ago and only brings temporary relief of disease symptoms. Since that time, more than 400 clinical trials have failed. Highly touted research focusing on eliminating plaques and tangles has, unfortunately, not produced safe, effective treatments, and some companies have abandoned their efforts in the face of long odds, Jenkins says. Because of this, nearly half of physicians in the new AARP survey say dementia is a hopeless diagnosis.

The brain health crisis doesn't just affect dementia sufferers, but also their friends, family, and loved ones, Jenkins says.

The latest projection shows that the impact of dementia on both patients and family caregivers will only continue to grow, as the number of people with the disease in the U.S. is estimated to reach 14 million by 2050, according to research conducted by the Alzheimer's Association. Jenkins says it's estimated that family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and dementia provided 18.4 billion hours of unpaid assistance in 2017 alone, a contribution valued at $232.1 billion nationally.

To draw attention to the experiences of patients and family caregivers and to spark bold new solutions for the world's brain health crisis, AARP is initiating an awareness campaign involving experts in the medical, business, and technology sectors as well as celebrities, including journalist Katie Couric and actress Jane Krakowski, who has personal experience as a dementia caregiver.

"The chance to stop the impact of this heartbreaking disease could be nothing short of life changing for so many people, and AARP's mission to spread education and understanding of the disease has the power to be truly transformative," Krakowski says.

David S. Wichmann, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, a new Dementia Discover Fund investor, says dementia is a devastating disease affecting the fives of millions of people and their families.

"By joining together, we can support scientific discovery to help identify and bring to market new and effective therapies that may one day prevent, cure, or slow the progression of dementia," Wichmann says.

Steve Rusckowski, chairman, president, and CEO of Quest Diagnostics, also a fund contributor, asserts, "Current efforts to diagnose and treat dementia have not been successful and more needs to be done. That's why we're proud ... to support the development of new tools and treatment options."

Kate Bingham of the Dementia Discovery Fund says the infusion of funds, "represents further U.S. interest in the fund, reflecting the global importance of developing new treatments for dementia."

Since its launch in 2015, the fund has invested in 16 drug-discovery companies and projects, with new investments now made possible because of the backing of AARP, UnitedHealth Group and Quest Diagnostics, Bingham says.

"By investing in new scientific approaches and applying insights from other areas such as oncology and immunology to develop novel dementia drugs, the DDF seeks to tackle this global challenge from a renewed perspective," she says.

AARP's Jenkins says that, while research is underway to find treatments and a cure, AARP offers resources and tools on its website, aarp.org/caregiving, for the 16.1 million Americans who care for people living with dementia.

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older. The organization works with leaders and local governments across the U.S. to adopt "age-friendly" guidelines and develop resources, Jenkins says. AARP also has founded the Global Council on Brain Health to help people strengthen their brain health and minimize their risk of dementia, and AARP is part of the National Advisory Council for Dementia Friendly America.