In past years, the failure rate of Alzheimer’s drugs has been alarmingly high. In fact, as recently as 2020, 99 percent of investigational drug products failed and never made it to market. Not only is Alzheimer’s an expensive disease, but its symptoms are also devastating for patients and families. The United States is on the clock to produce drugs and treatments to help the symptoms, slow progression and ultimately find a cure, and Congress’s funding for biomedical research is an investment worth making.
Without a cure, the cost of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias will certainly bankrupt our nation. Based on estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association this year, Alzheimer’s and other similar dementias will cost the U.S. $354 billion, which does not include caregiving costs. In addition, Medicare and Medicaid are expected to cover $222 billion in Alzheimer’s costs. To unlock new treatments, we must continue to provide funding for biomedical research.
Congress has certainly risen to the occasion. In fiscal year 2015, the NIH spent almost $586 million on Alzheimer’s research. In fiscal year 2023, following eight years of substantial funding increases, the NIH now spends more than $3.6 billion each year on disease research. This increased funding has been critical in furthering research and drug development.
Today, the NIH reports there are currently 141 active clinical trials on Alzheimer’s therapies. In addition, research has allowed two drugs to receive expedited approval from the FDA and enter the market for patients with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Both Aduhelm and Leqembi have demonstrated the ability to clear the brain of plaque, which is strongly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is currently covering these drugs, along with other future drugs in the same drug class receiving accelerated approval, for those enrolled in further clinical trials.
We are committed to continuing the good work NIH is doing. We both support the National Alzheimer’s Project Reauthorization Act (NAPA), which would coordinate federal planning, programs and efforts to address Alzheimer’s disease and expand the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services. In addition, the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would permanently authorize the NIH to release its budget for Alzheimer’s research independent from the White House. NIH’s budget normally must go through the White House, which will adjust NIH’s budget based on the president’s political ideology. The bypass budget authorization allows NIH to put out its own assessment of research needs that a president cannot interfere with.
Throughout Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, we are reminded of the toll this tragic disease has on patients and caregivers and the urgency to find a cure. Over the last several years, Congress has made concerted efforts to adequately fund research for and access to treatments for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. This will not only delay symptoms and progression but ultimately improve quality of life and one day save the lives of those suffering from this terrible disease.
Tom Cole currently serves as vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and formerly as the top Republican of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Paul Tonko — along with serving as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials — is also a member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.