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BC Liberals Commit $15 Million for Alzheimer's Research

April 18, 2006

VANCOUVER – The BC Liberal government is providing $15 million in funding for the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation to support new research aimed at eliminating Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.

"This is an investment not just in the search for a cure and better treatments for Alzheimer’s but also in the search for a better life for the thousands of British Columbians and their families who struggle with this debilitating disease," Campbell said. "This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first identification of what we now know as Alzheimer’s disease. Through innovative research like the work that will be supported by the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation, I’m confident we will not have to wait another hundred years to unravel the mystery of Alzheimer’s and find a cure."

The new Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation will actively solicit leading scientists to apply for grants to conduct research in finding ways of preventing or arresting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

"This is the best news that patients suffering from dementing diseases and their families have ever had. We hope that this initiative will be duplicated across our nation and around the world," said Dr. Patrick McGeer, director of the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation. "For every $10,000 of tax money being spent on the care of dementia patients, less than $1 is being spent on looking for a cure. The Premier of B.C. is going to change all that."

"This new foundation will help put B.C. at the forefront of a critical effort to improve the quality of life for all families touched by the impact of Alzheimer’s and related dementias,"said Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. "The funding for the foundation will further support B.C.’s reputation for leading-edge research while finding new treatments to reduce the impact of the disease on families and our health-care system."

The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that 435,000 Canadians over age 65 are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, and that is expected to exceed 750,000 within 25 years. Another 97,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year alone. There are no approved treatments that will arrest the progression of Alzheimer’s and it is estimated the annual cost of Alzheimer’s to Canada is over $5 billion per year.

The new funding for Alzheimer’s research will be made available from the Ministry of Advanced Education. The Province has invested more than one billion dollars in research and innovation since 2001, including significant investments in research to improve treatments and seek cures for major health-care challenges such as depression and spinal cord injuries.
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