NBC Today show segment explores the high cost of Alzheimer's, the search for the next big Alzheimer's drug, and Alzheimer's and baseball (read more).
Must reads and watch
- A September 5, 2013 NBC Today show segment focused on the high cost of Alzheimer's on victims and caretakers. According to the article, "Maria Shriver reported on the high emotional and financial cost of Alzheimer’s for the victims who don’t get as much attention: the caretakers. She interviewed Jim Crabtree, a man who for years took care of his wife suffering from Alzheimer’s and his elderly parents."
- A September 5, 2013 CNBC article reported on the "race for next-generation Alzheimer's drugs." According to the article, "The need for an effective treatment is massive and growing. Dementia affects 5 million-plus people in the U.S. and over 35 million worldwide, according to Alzheimer's Disease International. With the global population aging, those numbers are expected to triple by 2050.The handful of Alzheimer's drugs on the market, approved more than a decade ago, treat the symptoms of cognitive decline. They include Aricept from Pfizer, Namenda from Forest Laboratories and Exelon from Novartis. Their combined sales last year just topped $6 billion, according to BCC Research. Analysts estimate that a treatment for the disease itself could generate sales of $20 billion or more. And getting there is a risky and costly venture…The fear is that if the next round of late-stage trials doesn't go well, companies may scale back their investments in Alzheimer's until signs point to another breakthrough."
- A September 5, 2013 WTVY.com (AL) news segment reported on the use of baseball as therapy for Alzheimer's patients in St. Louis, MO. According to the article, "St. Louis university director of geriatrics, Dr. John Morely, developed the Cardinals reminiscence league after learning of a support group in Scotland where Alzheimer's patients share soccer memories."