[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9732-S9733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              ALZHEIMER'S

  Mr. REID. Madam President, recently, it was announced that an 
international research team had discovered a gene that causes the most 
aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease. This is a tremendous 
breakthrough. This discovery could lead to solving the mystery of what 
goes wrong in the brain to cause Alzheimer's, and is a prime example of 
the need for medical research.
  Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that 
attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and 
behavior. There have been other breakthroughs in the treatment and cure 
of Alzheimer's, as well as other neurological diseases. Other genes 
have been identified that lead to Alzheimer's; the first animal model 
of Alzheimer's disease--a transgenic mouse--has recently been produced, 
and is already being used to test drugs to slow the progression of the 
disease. Furthermore, Cognex, approved in 1994, is the first drug for 
treating Alzheimer's symptoms, and a combination of genetic testing and 
positron emission tomography [PET] scanning may yield an early 
diagnostic test for Alzheimer's. None of these discoveries could have 
occurred without funding for the research programs and scientists 
dedicated to finding cures for these devastating diseases.
  Four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The cost for 
caring for these men and women is $60 billion a year, making 
Alzheimer's the most expensive uninsured illness threatening American 
families. The disease is excluded from coverage by Medicare and most 
private insurance; therefore, the burden of the expenses is borne by 
the patient's family. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that at the 
rate of current research activities, researchers could reach their goal 
of delaying the onset of the disease by 5 years, reducing by half the 
number of people with Alzheimer's, and saving the country up to $50 
billion a year. It is just common sense that investing in a cure now 
will result in huge savings in the long run.
  I read with satisfaction William Safire's New York Times op-ed this 
past May, in which he encouraged investment in medical research. He 
called investment a no-brainer. Mr. 

[[Page S 9733]]
Safire also called GOP proposals to cut funding to the National 
Institutes of Health [NIH] shortsighted. I agree. The most effective 
way to curb the country's ever-growing medical costs is to cure or 
ameliorate the diseases that drive people into hospitals.
  I would like to commend the Alzheimer's Association for their 
tireless efforts on behalf of the victims of Alzheimer's and their 
families, as well as their dedication to acquiring funding for 
research. The association estimates that Alzheimer's could affect over 
14 million Americans by the middle of the 21st century. The costs will 
be astronomical, and it will be the future generations who will have to 
pay. The association further states that the disease has not yet 
financially overwhelmed the country because the families are providing 
almost all of the
 care. If this caregiving falls apart our annual health care costs will 
go up by more than $54 billion.

  The ultimate return on our investment in Alzheimer research depends 
on scientists' ability to continue the search for new pieces of the 
puzzle. That is now threatened by the GOP budget proposal. For the past 
2 years, public funding for Alzheimer's research has not even kept pace 
with inflation. The results have already proved harmful to research. 
Less than one in four high-quality applications for grants for 
Alzheimer's research is being funded. And individual grant awards are 
being cut by 10 to 20 percent. The number of epidemiological studies, 
that is--who gets Alzheimer's and why--has been reduced. Entire lines 
of investigation are being put on hold or lost forever as scientists 
turn to other fields of study. Funding for 28 Alzheimer's Disease 
Centers [ADC's], has been cut back. Finally, the National Institute on 
Aging has abandoned plans for new satellite clinics to serve rural, 
minority, and low-income communities and to increase their 
representation in research.
  The Federal investment of $311 million in 1995 is less than $78 per 
person with the disease, or about $1 for every $321 the disease now 
costs society.
  I have been a long-time supporter of NIH funding. It is my belief 
that medical research is the key to eliminating disease and making our 
health care system less costly and more effective. In fact, a recent 
NIH report estimated that approximately $800 million invested in 
clinical and applied medical research would realize a 1-year savings of 
approximately $6 billion.
  The gene discovery, announced yesterday, will aid in the fight 
against Alzheimer's disease. These breakthroughs do not occur often 
enough. We, in Congress, have the responsibility to provide researchers 
with the funding to enable them to continue their indispensable work.


                          ____________________