[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E930-E931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: THE ALZHEIMER'S CLINICAL RESEARCH AND 
                            TRAINING PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2000

  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my appreciation for the 
language contained in the Committee Report accompanying this bill which 
addresses Alzheimer's Disease.
  Furthermore, I would like to commend Chairman Porter and Ranking 
Member Obey for considering my April 12th testimony before the 
Subcommittee where I spoke on behalf of the 126 members of the 
Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease along with 
my co-chair Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Together we encouraged the 
Subcommittee to urge the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to 
increase its research for Alzheimer's by $100 million and to implement 
and fully fund a new program, originally adopted into the House Budget 
Resolution, the Alzheimer's Clinical Research and Training Awards 
Program.
  This worthy program will train physician-scientists to focus on 
clinical research and to

[[Page E931]]

translate the excellent basic research in Alzheimer's Disease to the 
clinic. Ultimately this program provides an opportunity for the 
National Institute on Aging (NIA) to ``enhance efforts to train, and 
educate health care professionals to improve diagnosis, treatment and 
prevention of Alzheimer's Disease'' as the House Report language 
accompanying this bill urges.
  I would note that the Senate Committee report accompanying the Labor-
HHS Education Appropriations bill provides additional clarification of 
the intent of Congress with respect to how the NIA should improve the 
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. The Senate 
Committee Report states the following with respect to the specific 
steps we expect to be taken to educate and train physician/scientists:
  ``The Committee believes that an important step in fighting 
Alzheimer's Disease is the encouragement of clinical research and 
training, which will complement the many excellent research efforts 
currently funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the 
National Institute on Aging (NIA), and in the private sector. The 
creation of Alzheimer's Clinical Research and training Awards program 
to train physicians to recognize and treat Alzheimer's Disease, and to 
dedicate their careers to improving care for Alzheimer's patients by 
bridging the gap that exists between basic and clinical research is 
critical. The awards program will foster physician dedication to a 
career in research, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease by 
awarding junior and midlevel physicians who have demonstrated the 
potential for a lifelong commitment to researching and treating 
Alzheimer's, with a I year stipend to train as an Alzheimer's 
physician/scientist. The awards program will be administered through 
the NIA, and should provide support for institutions focused primarily 
on Alzheimer's research but linked to a clinical treatment facility. 
The awards program will complement the Alzheimer's Disease Research 
Centers (currently funded through NIA) or similar institutions that are 
State or privately funded. The awards program will encourage 
institutions implementing the program to specialize in training 
physician/scientists, ultimately becoming physician training centers.''
  Alzheimer's disease is on track to become the epidemic of the 21st 
Century, currently 4 million Americans are afflicted and by 2050 it is 
estimated that this number will increase to 14 million. With these 
astonishing statistics we must act today to head off the health care 
crisis of tomorrow. The Alzheimer's Clinical Research and Training 
Awards envisioned by both the House and Senate bills represent an 
important step in meeting the challenge.

                          ____________________