Public increasingly concerned with cure for Alzheimer's
The public want to see more NHS funding spent on research on Alzheimer's disease
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Friday, 28, Mar 2008 12:01
The public are becoming increasingly concerned with the need to find treatments and cures for Alzheimer's disease, a new survey suggests.
A poll conducted for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) found that Alzheimer's disease was the nation's third most important condition to receive NHS funding for research.
Last year Alzheimer's came sixth in a similar poll.
Cancer topped this year's list followed by heart disease.
The ABPI says the poll uncovers a genuine join-up between public desire, government action, academic research priorities and industry investment into major illnesses.
But just one-third of people surveyed are confident enough money is invested researching the diseases they are most concerned about.
The poll also uncovered that the public want clear information about the progress being made on clinical developments treating diseases.
ABPI director general Richard Barker said: "Alzheimer's disease and dementia cause anxiety and distress to some 700,000 people in the UK and their families and friends.
"The survey that we've conducted shows that people want both the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry to make this condition a priority."
He added: "The good news is that there are currently 258 medicines being investigated throughout the world for Alzheimer's – and UK scientists have a hand in nine per cent of them. More than 40 are already in clinical trials.
"It is positive news for patients that there is such alignment between public desire, government action academic research priorities and industry investment into these major illnesses."