New Challenge Seeks Simple, Widely-Adaptable Tools to Track Alzheimer's Progression and Support HHS "Triple Aim" of Better Care and Better Health at Lower Cost
South San Francisco (January 26, 2012) - Janssen Alzheimer
Immunotherapy, together with its collaborator on the
Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program (AIP), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:
PFE), and the Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer's
Initiative today introduced the Alzheimer's Challenge
2012 at the Care Innovations Summit in Washington,
D.C. The Alzheimer's Challenge 2012 calls for
inventive concepts to help improve the diagnostic
identification and tracking of Alzheimer's disease.
Specifically, the Challenge seeks the development
of simple, cost-effective, consistent tools that could be
easily used to assess memory, mood, thinking and activity
level over time to help improve diagnosis and monitoring of
people with Alzheimer's disease. Today, easy to use,
reliable, objective and cost-efficient methods to track and
monitor Alzheimer's disease -- which is not a normal part
of aging -- remain an unmet need. The Alzheimer's
Challenge 2012 supports the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) call to harness new thinking to
deliver better care and better health at lower cost and
provides an entrepreneurial springboard to harness new
thinking and approaches to improve Alzheimer's care.
"In the United States, more than 5 million people have
Alzheimer's disease -- that's one-in-every-eight people
aged 65 and over. The odds increase to nearly one-in-two
for people who are 85 years old," said Suzanne Blaug, head
of Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy on behalf of the
Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program. "As we look toward the
implementation of the first-ever National Plan to Address
Alzheimer's Disease, the United States is taking critical
steps to address the enormous toll that Alzheimer's is
placing on families, their caregivers and the healthcare
system. We're eager to collaborate with others, as it will
take many of us working together to address one of the
largest healthcare challenges of our time."
The Alzheimer's Challenge 2012 includes awards
totaling $300,000. This incorporates $25,000 to five
finalists and $175,000 to one winner of the
Challenge. The deadline for submission of concepts
is March 16, 2012 and a complete Challenge
description, official rules, including prizes, judging
criteria and timelines are available on the
Alzheimer'sChallenge 2012.
"The organizations presenting challenges here today are
pushing the best minds in the country to create a better
health care system. They represent exciting solutions to
help address some of the Nation's most urgent health
needs," said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.
"We believe someone out there has the answer and shares our
sense of urgency. The Alzheimer'sChallenge 2012 is
open to problem-solvers and we encourage anyone and
everyone who thinks they have a creative solution to step
up, submit an entry, and be recognized,"said Meryl Comer,
President ofThe Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer's
Initiative. Chairman of the Initiative, George Vradenburg,
also representing USAgainstAlzheimers on the National
Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), adds, "We are pleased to
partner with the AIP in making thisChallengeand
are grateful for the continuing leadership of HHS Secretary
Sebelius in focusing a broad-based national effort to
address Alzheimer's."
Alzheimer's Challenge 2012 Overview
Following the March 16, 2012 submission deadline, five
finalists will be selected and announced by April 16, 2012.
Each finalist will be awarded $25,000. Concept refinement
will be completed by mid June 2012 with finalist
presentations to follow. The winner of the
Challenge will be announced at the end of June
2012 and awarded a $175,000 prize. Judges will be drawn
from experts in the Alzheimer's community and other related
fields. More information available at .
The Need for Better Tools to Track Alzheimer's Disease
For many chronic conditions, such as diabetes and
hypertension, there are simple, reliable, objective methods
for tracking progression. Similar tools are generally not
available for Alzheimer's disease. However, there are
accurate and reliable cognitive tests to help diagnose the
disease. Other challenges still remain in the diagnosis of
and ongoing care for people with Alzheimer's disease.
It is believed that as many as 50 percent of people living
with dementia in high income countries such as the United
States have not received a formal diagnosis. Once
diagnosed, patients, their caregivers and health care
providers need a better way to track and monitor the
patient's condition over time.
Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program
The Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program of Janssen
Alzheimer Immunotherapy and Pfizer Inc. is an equal
collaboration committed to researching and developing
selective products for the treatment and/or prevention of
neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's
disease.
The Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program believes that it
is possible to reduce the burden of disease through early
intervention in the illness. It is dedicated to delivering
comprehensive and integrated solutions that help address
the needs of people impacted by Alzheimer's disease.
Its research focuses on the beta amyloid hypothesis.
Scientific evidence supports the idea that preventing the
accumulation and/or promoting the removal of beta-amyloid
may have the potential to slow the progression of
Alzheimer's disease and help preserve function in people
with the disease. This theory is being tested in clinical
trials.
Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy
At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving some
of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in
neuroscience. Driven by our commitment to patients, we
bring innovative products, services and solutions to people
throughout the world. Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy is
one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and is
researching, developing and commercializing selective
products for the treatment and/or prevention of Alzheimer's
disease. Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy is based in Dublin
and has R&D facilities in South San Francisco. For more
information, please visit .
The Geoffrey Beene Gives Back®Alzheimer's Initiative
The Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer's Initiative
(GBGBAI) is a major charitable beneficiary of the Geoffrey
Beene Foundation.Its missionis"getting ahead of the
future" with early diagnostics, genetics, biomarker
research and spirited public awareness campaigns.The
2012 Alzheimer's Challengeis the first in a series of
GBGBAI-supported, award based competitions for innovative
solutions to challengestoAlzheimer's prevention
research. A marquee sponsor of the 2010 award-winning HBO
series, "The Alzheimer's Project," GBGBAI
also launched a national "Rock Stars of Science"® (Rock
S.O.S.) campaign to salute researchers and excite the next
generation to careers in science. One hundred percent of
net profits from Geoffrey Beene, LLC are donated to
philanthropic causes that support innovative research on a
host of medical, educational and societal issues. Through
2011, Geoffrey Beene, LLC has provided $150 million in
value funding.For more information, visit or .
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ellen Rose
Office: 650-794-2546
Mobile: 650-491-4901
erose@janimm.com
www.janimm.com
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