A cure for Alzheimer’s disease is “within reach” and research is at a “turning point”, a charity has said.
Alzheimer’s Research UK said more than 190 trials were testing new medicines for their ability to slow or stop the disease.
As it launched a new campaign during World Alzheimer’s Month, the charity said the first person to be cured of the disease could already be alive today.
Hilary Evans-Newton CBE, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, which is based in Cambridge, said: “The idea that someone alive today could become the first person cured of Alzheimer’s disease would have seemed unimaginable not long ago.
“Today, thanks to decades of research, it’s a future we know is within reach.
“A cure is in sight, but only research will deliver it. At Alzheimer’s Research UK, we are dedicated to accelerating this progress to get us there faster.”
As well as a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the charity believes other life-changing breakthroughs are on the horizon including faster ways to diagnose, and progress in the search for cures for other forms of dementia.
A blood test that could revolutionise Alzheimer’s diagnosis is expected before 2030.
Sam Benham-Hermetz, Executive Director of Policy, Communications, and Involvement at Alzheimer’s Research UK Credit: ITV News Anglia
Speaking to ITV News Anglia, Sam Benham-Hermetz, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’ve never seen such a rich pipeline, so that pipeline of new medicines is 40% more medicines than we’ve ever had for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen tests that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier stage and with more accuracy.
“And we’re also now have two treatments that have been licensed in the UK that can slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Both of these are causes for celebration, but the challenge we face is that science is progressing so fast, but the NHS isn’t keeping pace.
“We need these innovative tests and treatments to be adopted on the NHS and they need to be ready for a cure.”
Almost one million people are living with Alzheimer’s in the UK, with that number expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
If nothing changes, the charity has warned that half of the UK population will be directly affected by dementia in their lifetime – either by developing the condition themselves, caring for someone with it, or experiencing both.
Chris Bane’s mum Shirley has had Alzheimer’s disease for ten years Credit: ITV News Anglia
Chris Bane’s mum Shirley was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 at the age of 67. She is now non-verbal and living in a care home.
Mr Bane, from Cambridgeshire, said: “She’s got worse in the last few months. She no longer recognises who I am, very little eye contact and can’t feed herself.
“At times I was more a carer than a son, which you have to deal with as well as slowly losing the one you love.
“Research is critical for a cure. Unfortunately it’s too late for mum, but there are people out there who will benefit from research and new treatments.
“We have the momentum now, so more research will bring that cure quicker.”
The new Alzheimer’s Research UK campaign features a film voiced by White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood and is soundtracked by rock band The Cure’s “In Between Days”.
Aimee Lou Wood, who also featured in Sex Education, said: “Having seen close friends and their families devastated by the reality of dementia, this cause is deeply personal to me.
“This campaign from Alzheimer’s Research UK serves as a powerful reminder that we’re standing on the brink of something monumental, and it was such an honour to lend my voice to it.
“The idea that someone alive today could be the first person to be cured of Alzheimer’s disease is breathtaking; it shows how research is transforming something that, for too long, has felt completely out of reach.”
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