Following World Alzheimer’s Month in September 2023 and the recent developments of two new treatments that slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, Damian Green is holding a debate in Parliament on new dementia treatments.
On Thursday 11th January at 3pm, Damian will make the case to Parliament that urgent attention is required to address the challenges around the way bodies like NICE and the NHS determine the value of new medicines and the underinvestment in dementia services to ensure that once treatments are approved, they can quickly be delivered to eligible patients. Damian said: “For the first time there is a glimmer of hope as we confront dementia. What I want to see is this country at the forefront of developing the treatments and systems which will allow potential sufferers to benefit. I want to make sure that 2024 is the year when we set out a clear path to making effective treatments available to as many sufferers as possible as fast as possible.”
Dementia remains a significant healthcare challenge with over one thousand people in Ashford living with the condition and one million people nationally. This is expected to grow as our population ages. It is the leading cause of death and costs the economy £26 billion per year. Two new treatments have shown in clinical trials to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease (the most common cause of dementia) and are currently being considered by UK regulators. However, there are concerns that people living with Alzheimer’s disease won’t be able to get timely access to these treatments if regulators do decide they are safe and effective.
You can watch the debate live here.