Thank you for contacting me about research into and treatment for dementia.
An estimated one million people will be living with dementia by 2025, so research is crucial to understanding the condition and improving outcomes for those affected. I was proud to stand on a manifesto that committed to doubling dementia research funding and finding a cure for dementia.
In memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, the Government launched a new mission in August 2022 to put this into practice. Research funding for dementia will rise to a total of £160 million a year by 2024, with an additional £95 million being provided to increase clinical trials and research projects.
A new taskforce – made up of industry, the NHS, academia and families affected by dementia – will help lead this work to allocate funding. You can register your interest to take part through the Join Dementia Research website here: https://www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/
This mission complements the Government’s commitment to publish the 10-Year Plan for Dementia. The 10-Year Plan will include plans to increase research funding for dementia and deliver a moonshot. It will focus on the specific health needs of people with dementia and their carers covering prevention, diagnosis and research. It will also look at how new technology can be used to improve outcomes for dementia patients across the country. I look forward to studying the detail of the plan in due course.
I am also greatly encouraged by the clinical trial results for Lecanemab, which is the first drug of its kind to demonstrate a reduction in the rate of decline in people's memory and thinking in clinical trials. These findings will bring hope to the many thousands of people affected by Dementia, and I look forward to further updates about the development of the drug. Research conducted and funded by medical research charities is critical to discovering new treatments and interventions for diseases like Dementia, and I congratulate Alzheimer's Research for the work that has led to these findings.
Thank you again for taking the time to get in touch.
Kind regards,
Graham