Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to make dementia research a national priority as he announced a £48 million industry partnership to accelerate the search for a cure. Mr Burnham, whose father Roy died last month after suffering from Alzheimer’s, said he wanted Britain “to be the country that makes the breakthrough”.
Government and industry funding
The Government will invest £33 million alongside funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Gates Ventures to help recruit more people for clinical studies. The investment will support The Barbara Alliance, which was launched in memory of the late EastEnders actress Dame Barbara Windsor to speed up the development of dementia treatments.
It will establish a platform connecting health data, research and clinical trial capabilities to make it easier to find participants for trials. Speaking ahead of Friday’s Innovation Nation Summit in Manchester, Mr Burnham said: “Dementia is a devastatingly cruel disease, not only for those who live with it, but for the families who care for them.
“For too long, we have accepted dementia as something to be managed later in life, rather than a disease we can defeat. I don’t accept that. In fact, I have real hope that we can come together and do exactly that.
National priority and new data service
“I want Britain to be the country that makes the breakthrough and delivers the cure for dementia the world has been waiting for. That is why I am making dementia research a national priority – by backing the NHS, universities, researchers and industry to drive the breakthroughs we desperately need.
“This investment goes hand in hand with our plans for a National Care Service, helping ensure that people living with dementia get the care and support they need, and giving families peace of mind that their loved ones will be cared for.”
Dementia will also be made one of the top priorities of the new Health Data Research Service, backed by up to £600 million from the Government and the Wellcome Trust. The service will bring together NHS and research data in one system to help scientists identify suitable patients.
It is understood that one project will see GSK use health data to explore a possible association between the company’s shingles vaccine and a reduced risk of dementia.
Reactions and legacy
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This cruel disease has done so much damage to families across our country, and for too long we have lacked the tools to fight back.
“This investment will help us turn the tide on dementia, helping us to speed up diagnosis, accelerate research and give more people the chance to take part in trials that could transform their futures. We are also determined to ensure that every person living with dementia gets the care they deserve, and that no family is left to fend for themselves when a loved one needs support.
“So, alongside this new investment, we will ensure that the treatment of dementia is one of the central priorities of our new National Care Service.”
Responding to the announcement, Dame Barbara’s widower Scott Mitchell said: “I was with Barbara when we went to Downing Street to meet then-prime minister Boris Johnson. She said to him, ‘Now come on, darling, you’ve got to do something about helping people with this dementia business. There’s not enough money for it. There’s not enough funding’.
“For me, this means Barbara won’t just be remembered for her bra flying off in Carry On Camping, she’s got a second legacy. I’m hugely excited with the progress being made and today’s announcement from the Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who also has personal experience like myself and so many others.”
Michelle Dyson, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This is a significant moment for dementia research and we welcome the Prime Minister’s ambition for the UK to lead the world in discovering new treatments to beat dementia. This substantial investment in The Barbara Alliance is fantastic news and a major vote of confidence in its vital work.
“By bringing together government, industry, researchers and the NHS, the Alliance is providing the kind of co-ordinated, ambitious approach that dementia research urgently needs, helping remove barriers to clinical trials and accelerate progress towards new treatments.
“We’re incredibly proud to work alongside the Alliance and share its determination to transform the future for everyone affected by dementia. The Prime Minister is right to reject the idea that dementia is simply an inevitable part of ageing. With sustained investment, earlier diagnosis and a determination to make research accessible to everyone, we have a real opportunity to create the change that’s so desperately needed.”
