Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease (CEOi) Commits Industry to Innovation and Leadership in the Global Fight Against Alzheimer's and Dementia

CEOi Spotlights Alzheimer's at 2013 Milken Global Conference, Calls for New Global Framework to Stop Alzheimer's Disease by 2025

LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease (CEOi), a new business consortium leading the fight against Alzheimer's, today announced its commitment to a new global framework to combat Alzheimer's disease.  The CEOi's goal is to create a clear pathway to diagnose, prevent and treat Alzheimer's by 2025, aligned with global and national plans to address Alzheimer's and other dementias.

In line with this goal, this morning's panel at the 2013 Milken Institute Global Conference will highlight the critical positive contribution to global economic growth and sovereign operating budgets with the prevention of Alzheimer's.  The panel, titled "Stopping Alzheimer's: Personal, Economic and Policy Imperatives," will feature experts with diverse backgrounds across health, technology, drug development, foreign policy and advocacy, who will share key insights and perspectives about the impacts of Alzheimer's on patients and caregivers, the global healthcare system, foreign policy, and global growth and competitiveness.

"Alzheimer's disease is an unprecedented global health burden with devastating social and financial effects on individuals, families and communities, but the immense global economic and fiscal consequences of the disease have only recently emerged as a topic of global conversation," said George Vradenburg, Convener of the CEOi.  "Global leadership and collaboration across business and government are essential to drive coordinated action, promote rapid innovation and spur the focus needed to achieve a means of prevention and effective diagnosis, treatment and care for Alzheimer's and dementia."

Speakers during today's panel, which will take place at 8:30 a.m. at the Beverly Hilton, include:

• Neil de Crescenzo, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Health Sciences, Oracle
• Robert Hormats, Under Secretary, Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, U.S. Department of State
• Sue Siegel, CEO, healthymagination, GE
• George Vradenburg, Convener, The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease
• Anne Whitaker, President, North America Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi
• Cecilia Arradaza, Director, Communications and Policy, FasterCures (moderator)

"Alzheimer's is one of the seminal public health issues of our time; the fiscal and social implications cannot be ignored," said Anne Whitaker, President, North America Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi. "From a health perspective and a business perspective, our only option is to pursue a comprehensive framework that includes partnerships, research investments, business models and policy changes to turn this pending crisis into opportunity."

Alzheimer's and dementia is a global public health priority that requires a global solution.  According to the World Health Organization and the Alzheimer's Disease International 2012 Dementia Report, in 2010, there were approximately 36 million people worldwide suffering from dementia – most diagnosed over the age of 60 – and that number will spike to 115 million by 2050.  Further, the total worldwide costs of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, were estimated to exceed $600 billion, which is equivalent to one percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).  Combined with a lack of treatment options and the aging of the global population, both prevalence and cost will skyrocket without proper attention and investment.   

"CEOi intends to utilize our collective expertise across the health, diagnostic, medical, financial services and technology sectors to drive new solutions to support Alzheimer's patients and caregivers," said Sue Siegel, CEO of healthymagination, GE.  "Through our expertise, innovation and collaboration, the CEOi will build upon national commitments and plans in the U.S. and across the globe to place Alzheimer's at the forefront of critical research, care, awareness and funding priorities in order to stop this global threat by 2025."

The founding members of the CEOi include biopharmaceutical and healthcare companies AC Immune, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Merck, Pfizer, Inc. Sanofi and Nestle Health Science; financial services provider Bank of America Merrill Lynch; healthcare solutions company GE Healthcare; and Banner Health, a large multi-state, not-for-profit healthcare system.

Through collaboration with governments, non-governmental organizations and academia, the CEOi will build proactive strategies to meet four goals aimed at stopping Alzheimer's disease by 2025, including:

1. Develop a global Alzheimer's framework to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's by 2025, with specific, milestone-driven actions to increase global research resources as well as reduce the time, cost and risk in developing Alzheimer's therapies;
2. Develop a comprehensive global Alzheimer's agenda to align basic and translational  academic and industrial research and drug development;
3. Articulate the fiscal and economic case for global action and new investment models and innovations in treatment, care and care delivery; and
4. Enhance public engagement to emphasize the value of early detection and diagnosis and to increase awareness of the economic, social and personal benefits of a public commitment to stopping Alzheimer's disease.

The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease (CEOi) is an organization of private-sector leaders who have joined together to provide business leadership in the fight against Alzheimer's. The CEO Initiative seeks to partner with public leaders to transform the disease from a social, health, and economic crisis into an opportunity for healthy aging and innovation in research and care. The CEO Initiative believes that, during this era of aging populations, it will take visionary, coordinated, goal-oriented leadership of public and private leaders working together to solve our greatest challenges. Learn more at: www.ceoalzheimersinitiative.org.

SOURCE The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease (CEOi)