Dementia Goals: A New Era in Tackling the Devastating Impact of Dementia

On a sunny morning in September, Elizabeth, a 68-year-old grandmother, sifted through her collection of family photographs. As she chuckled at her grandson’s antics, her smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion. “Who are they again?” she whispered, glancing towards her daughter, whose heart sank with the realization: dementia was slowly eroding Elizabeth’s vibrant memories. With dementia now the leading cause of death in England, Elizabeth’s story is one among a multitude, highlighting the profound personal and societal challenges surrounding this condition. An estimated one in two people will be affected directly by dementia, either through caring for someone with the disease, developing it themselves, or both.

What we do

Dementia has a staggering social financial impact, costing around £34.7 billion annually in healthcare, social care, and informal care—a figure predicted to soar to over £94 billion by 2040. The urgency for effective responses has never been clearer. In August 2022, the UK government launched the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals, armed with £95 million in funding, and an expectation of up to £150 million to be allocated to this initiative. The aim? Accelerating the development of groundbreaking treatments for dementia and related neurodegenerative conditions.

“With the right focus and resources, we can make strides in dementia research that were unimaginable just a decade ago,” says Hilary Evans-Newton, Co-Chair of the Dementia Goals and Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK. “The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals mark a significant turning point in how we innovate and implement solutions.” As part of this groundbreaking initiative, the newly launched Neurodegeneration Initiative stands as a unique public-private partnership, designed to foster collaboration across government, industry, academia, and philanthropic sectors.

The objectives are ambitious. By enhancing biomarker development and improving clinical trial methodologies, the initiative aims to compress timelines for bringing treatments to patients, ultimately showcasing the need for agility in research processes. As Professor Nadeem Sarwar, Co-Chair and Head of Transformational Prevention at Novo Nordisk, comments, “Innovation in the clinical trial process is what will enable us to deliver new therapies to patients more quickly and effectively.”

• Accelerate innovations in dementia biomarker detection.
• Enhance the number and speed of clinical trials.
• Collaborate with regulators to streamline implementation of new treatments.

The first significant step was the launching of the SBRI Innovation Competition in July 2023, supported by £6 million of government funding. This initiative provided support to ten different projects focusing on biomarker innovations. Anticipated breakthroughs in this field could revolutionize the development of precision therapies, enabling more accurate targeting of treatments. The winners of this competition are expected to be announced in March 2024, heralding what could be pivotal advancements.

Moreover, the Clinical Trials Delivery Accelerator was introduced in November 2023, enhancing the Dementia Goals with an additional £20 million in funding. This initiative aims to revolutionize trial design and delivery, ultimately reducing costs and increasing the quality and speed of large-scale trials. “The Clinical Trials Delivery Accelerator is a game changer,” states Dr. Ruth McKernan, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Neurodegeneration Initiative. “It introduces a level of innovation that is crucial for progressing quickly in the biomedical landscape of dementia.”

Collaborative Efforts and Future Aspirations

The impact of collaboration in the Dementia Goals cannot be understated. In March 2023, key stakeholders gathered at a roundtable hosted at No. 10 Downing Street. This meeting brought together academics, investors, business leaders, and individuals with lived experience of dementia to share insights and accelerate efforts against this ravaging illness. The atmosphere was charged with urgency and shared determination, underscoring that, in the fight against dementia, every voice counts.

At this meeting, several appointments were announced, including Scott Mitchell as the People’s Champion for the Dementia Goals. “As the husband of Dame Barbara Windsor, my goal is to ensure that the voices of those living with dementia are at the forefront of this initiative,” Mitchell exclaimed. His role will involve facilitating engagement between patients, caregivers, and the ongoing work of the Dementia Goals program, ensuring transparency and advocacy for unmet needs.

As part of the initiative’s commitment to innovation, in March 2025, £2 million will be dedicated to adding a digital cognitive test to the ongoing READ-OUT study. This study is part of the larger Blood Biomarker Challenge aimed at validating breakthrough blood tests for dementia, setting the stage for their potential implementation in the NHS within a five-year framework.

The Human Impact: Beyond Statistics

While statistics indicate a pressing need for action, the stories of individuals like Elizabeth bring the frightening reality of dementia to life. Ultimately, tackling dementia isn’t just a matter of managing healthcare costs or advancing scientific research—it’s about enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families caught in its relentless grip. Innovations in caregiving and therapies must be underscored by a compassionate understanding of individual experiences.

As the upcoming funding calls and initiatives signal a continued commitment to confronting dementia, it remains paramount that the voices of those affected are integrated into this narrative. The establishment of the People’s Forum underlines this commitment to community involvement, focusing on grounded, real-world experiences of patients and caregivers. “We need to ensure every step we take is informed by those who live with this disease every day,” Mitchell concludes with a heartfelt conviction.

Source: www.gov.uk