Mikulski Convenes Unprecedented Roundtable Of Federal Agency Heads On Alzheimer's Epidemic

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Mikulski Convenes Unprecedented Roundtable of Federal Agency Heads on Alzheimer's Epidemic

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee's Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging, held the third hearing in her series to address the epidemic of Alzheimer's disease today. The roundtable featured the leadership of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institute on Aging (NIA) and focused on current federal Alzheimer's disease initiatives and programs, how to better coordinate federal efforts, and the facilitation of private and public sector partnerships.

"We are approaching an epidemic. A tsunami is on the horizon. We do know a lot about Alzheimer's disease, but it has been 100 years since it was first diagnosed," said Senator Mikulski. "Only 10 years after the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, researchers discovered a ‘cocktail' that is now enabling people with AIDS to live productive lives. We need this same sense of urgency for Alzheimer's!"

In March, Senator Mikulski and Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.) introduced The Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007 (S. 898) and The Family Assistance Act of 2007 (S. 897). The Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007, which was referred to the HELP Committee, doubles funding for Alzheimer's research at NIH from $640 million to $1.3 billion. It will create a national summit on Alzheimer's to look at the most promising breakthroughs. The bill also creates a system for caregiver support that provides updated news, resources and tools for caregivers, families and physicians. The Family Assistance Act of 2007 would provide a $3,000 tax credit for families caring for a loved one with a chronic condition like Alzheimer's to help them pay for prescription drugs, home health care and specialized day care. It also includes a long-term care tax deduction, making long-term care insurance more affordable for people. This bill is being considered by the Senate Finance Committee and is co-sponsored by Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Senator Mikulski's opening statement, as prepared, is below:

"Thank you to all of our roundtable participants for being here today: Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Richard Hodes, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

"We are approaching an epidemic. A tsunami is on the horizon. There are now 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. But as baby boomers age, this number is expected to triple by 2050. Half of seniors right now over 85 have the disease - a disease that right now has no cure, with no potential for remission.

"We do know a lot about Alzheimer's disease, but it has been 100 years since it was first diagnosed. Only 10 years after the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, researchers discovered a ‘cocktail' that is now enabling people with AIDS to live productive lives. We need this same sense of urgency for Alzheimer's Disease!

"Not only is this disease awful for the person living with it and devastating for the family caring for their loved one, but it is horrifying to think of the financial impact it will have for our country. Last year we spent $120 billion to support people living with Alzheimer's. If we don't do something - it will cost us $1 trillion a year by 2050.

"So let's put a positive spin. What would we save if we found a cure? Can we put a price tag on that? What would we save if we could delay the onset of the disease? A recent report found if we could delay the onset of the disease for five years, it would save Medicaid and Medicare $515 billion each year.

"But we need to find a way to cause this ‘delay.' It might be simple things. In my last hearing, we learned how successful better nutrition might improve mental capacity, or just walking three times per week improves memory. Or it might be more complicated. We heard from a researcher who, after studying the effects of nicotine for a cigarette company, thought it might help Alzheimer's patients and it appears to be working!

"But we must do something! This is why I called this esteemed panel together. Right here we have gathered together the nation's experts, representing the research being done at NIH to find a cure or a treatment for the disease, the messages we deliver by CDC to families and practitioners who care for people with Alzheimer's, and the FDA that guarantees that new breakthrough drugs on the horizon will get to those who need it safely and quickly. Can we put a price tag on what the nation would save if we had more researchers trying to find a cure? Better ways to tell the public how to delay the onset of the disease and practitioners on how to better diagnose and treat the disease? Faster new drugs getting to patients?

"Like so many other Americans, I am very familiar with Alzheimer's disease. My own father was one of the 5 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's. My family and I knew about the long goodbye. We lived the 36-hour day. It was devastating to him, heartbreaking to my mother and heart-wrenching for my sisters and I. There was no safety net for our family.

"I vowed to do everything I could, not just to support research, the search for a cure or a cognitive stretch out, but also to create a safety net for families, because we know how hard it is. Ten million Americans have a family member with Alzheimer's. We are getting there. The experts have told us: ‘we will lose opportunities if we don't move quickly; we are at a crucial point where NIH funding can make a difference.' But we need to act now.

"I also wanted to tell you about legislation I have worked on for the past few years with Senator Bond - the Alzheimer's Breakthrough and Family Assistance Legislation. It supports your agencies and families with the disease. It would double funding for Alzheimer's research at NIH - from $640 million to $1.3 billion. It would provide family support. It would help CDC provide news you can use, for families and physicians. It would provide a $3,000 tax credit for families caring for a loved one with a disease like Alzheimer's.

"Each of your agencies plays an active role in addressing the Alzheimer's epidemic. The National Institutes of Health is the lynchpin for new discoveries in prevention, diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's, with most of this research taking place at the National Institute on Aging. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides news you can use to Americans on how to prevent illness and how to improve health with the latest scientific information for both patients and doctors. The Food and Drug Administration plays the critical role of assuring the safety and effectiveness of the breakthrough treatments on the horizon.

"Today, I look forward to hearing from each of you. I want to hear:

Where is combating Alzheimer's on your list of priorities?
How are you confronting this public health emergency?
How are you coordinating and communicating with each other?
How do you get news you can use to the public and practitioners?
Can we accelerate science?

"I am pleased each of you could make it here today, allowing for a discussion between all the agency heads to learn how we can get the valuable information we learn from the NIH into the right hands at the CDC to get the message out and to the FDA to get our treatments faster. And, most importantly, to learn what Congress can do to help move the ball forward."

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