GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced it will be a key partner, with an
investment of $25 million (approx £17 million), in a pioneering new
global fund for dementia research. The Dementia Discovery Fund, which is
being established by the UK government with initial commitments
totalling $100 million, brings together leading pharmaceutical
companies, the UK government and Alzheimer’s Research UK to address the
rising threat posed by dementia by supporting research into future
treatments.
The fund aims to identify and nurture promising new avenues of research from around the world in the field of dementia and supports GSK’s commitment to explore novel, collaborative approaches in challenging areas of research. It is hoped that by providing critical financial support and expert advice during the early stages of research, the development of innovative new treatments for this disease could be accelerated.
Dementia poses a serious and rising threat to public health and healthcare systems globally. According to the World Health Organization more than 35 million people are living with dementia worldwide. This number is expected to triple by 2050, yet there are currently no medicines available to prevent or cure this disease. This is due to the complexity of the brain, which makes finding new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like dementia exceptionally difficult scientifically. Coupled with this, the slow onset of disease and diverse range of symptoms associated with it means that clinical trials for potential new treatments are very challenging to carry out. The failure rate in the development of new medicines for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases currently stands at 95% for assets in clinical development, which is about double the failure rate seen in other areas of research.
Patrick Vallance, president of pharmaceutical R&D at GSK, said: “The rise of dementia is fast becoming one of the world’s greatest health threats, and in order to reverse the tide on this, it’s imperative that the scientific community works together, sharing knowledge and expertise with one another. Today’s announcement signals a unique opportunity for us to translate some of the world’s most promising research in this field in to life changing medicines. This Fund is a really smart way of bringing together great minds and communally increasing our understanding of dementia. It’s also a good way of sharing the financial risk associated with conducting drug discovery research in this field.
The fund aims to identify and nurture promising new avenues of research from around the world in the field of dementia and supports GSK’s commitment to explore novel, collaborative approaches in challenging areas of research. It is hoped that by providing critical financial support and expert advice during the early stages of research, the development of innovative new treatments for this disease could be accelerated.
Dementia poses a serious and rising threat to public health and healthcare systems globally. According to the World Health Organization more than 35 million people are living with dementia worldwide. This number is expected to triple by 2050, yet there are currently no medicines available to prevent or cure this disease. This is due to the complexity of the brain, which makes finding new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like dementia exceptionally difficult scientifically. Coupled with this, the slow onset of disease and diverse range of symptoms associated with it means that clinical trials for potential new treatments are very challenging to carry out. The failure rate in the development of new medicines for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases currently stands at 95% for assets in clinical development, which is about double the failure rate seen in other areas of research.
Patrick Vallance, president of pharmaceutical R&D at GSK, said: “The rise of dementia is fast becoming one of the world’s greatest health threats, and in order to reverse the tide on this, it’s imperative that the scientific community works together, sharing knowledge and expertise with one another. Today’s announcement signals a unique opportunity for us to translate some of the world’s most promising research in this field in to life changing medicines. This Fund is a really smart way of bringing together great minds and communally increasing our understanding of dementia. It’s also a good way of sharing the financial risk associated with conducting drug discovery research in this field.
