HHS announces national AD plan
HHS published a national plan to develop new prevention and treatment approaches for Alzheimer's disease by 2025. The Obama administration's proposed FY13 budget provides a $100 million increase over the amount allocated in FY12 to support the plan. The increase includes $80 million for AD research and $1.3 million to improve data collection. In February, the Obama administration announced it will immediately dedicate an additional $50 million from its FY12 budget for AD research (see BioCentury Extra, Feb. 7).
The plan includes a $16 million commitment to help fund a five-year, $100 million prevention trial evaluating crenezumab from Genentech Inc. in about 300 people with a rare genetic mutation that creates a high risk for AD. The non-profit Banner Alzheimer's Institute will also provide $15 million for the trial, while Genentech will fund the remainder of the trial's cost. Data from the trial will be shared publicly. Genentech has exclusive, worldwide rights the product from AC Immune S.A. (Lausanne, Switzerland). The humanized mAb against beta amyloid is in Phase II testing in mild to moderate AD patients. Genentech is a unit of Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY). ...