Advisory Council January 2015 Meeting Presentation: Research Recommendations

Monday, January 26, 2015

Washington, D.C.

Research Subcommittee Recommendations

Jennifer Manly
Richard Hodes
Harry Johns
Ronald Petersen
George Vradenburg

Long-standing themes of research recommendations

• Accelerate basic and translational research toward development of effective treatments
  • Assess progress toward and update interim milestones
• Commit resources with accountability
• Compress average time in the process of identification of therapeutic targets via public/private partnerships and enhanced regulatory clarity
• Meaningfully coordinate with global partners

Recommendation 1

• The 2015 National Plan must provide a robust, comprehensive, and transformative scientific roadmap for achieving the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025.

Notes on Recommendation 1

• Roadmap should invite broad and inclusive input from experts
• Priorities and interim milestones should be evaluated and updated each year
• Include specific research milestones to:
  • reduce racial/ethnic/socioeconomic disparities in AD
  • increase access to early diagnosis, diagnostic procedures, and potential disease modifying treatments among diverse groups
  • make significant improvements in research recruitment rates and outreach among diverse populations
  • include and prioritize specific milestones for Alzheimer’s Disease Related Disorders
  • include and prioritize specific milestones for populations at high risk for AD (e.g., people with Down Syndrome)

Recommendation 2

• The urgent need for increased annual federal research funding sufficient to meet the 2025 goal remains a top priority. Initial estimates of that level are $2 billion per year but may be more. That investment would be applied to Alzheimer’s research initiatives spanning basic, translational and clinical research.

Recommendation 3

• In developing their professional judgment budget, the NIH should identify the total science-driven funding needs for the budget year and also address the scale of needs anticipated through 2025.

Recommendation 4

• The 2015 National Plan should outline specific contributions being made by the US government to the international initiatives needed to fulfill the commitments made by the US Government at the 2013 Dementia Summit in London, including how the US Government intends to raise the level of engagement, and seniority of governmental officials, engaged in those efforts.