[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 135 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING ELAN CORPORATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE SESTAK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Elan Corporation which 
this year will celebrate four decades of extraordinary work dedicated 
to advancing neuroscience, developing disease-modifying treatments that 
are defining the future of therapy for degenerative neurological 
conditions, and playing a significant role in the drug delivery and 
technology field.
  On September 21 the world marked World Alzheimer's Day 2009. It is 
therefore fitting to acknowledge Elan Corporation's research, 
development, and commercial activities for neurodegenerative diseases 
including Alzheimer's. An estimated 5 million Americans have 
Alzheimer's disease, including one in eight Americans over 65 and 
nearly half of Americans over 85. A new Alzheimer patient is diagnosed 
every 71 seconds and 1 in 10 Americans have a family member living with 
the disease. In Pennsylvania, more than 500,000 individuals suffer from 
Alzheimer's and there are nearly 431,000 family caregivers. Elan's work 
in this area has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of 
life for those afflicted with that terrible disease as well as the tens 
of millions of caregivers the world over, who struggle with the 
physical and emotional burden of seeing their loved one grow more 
distant and disabled each day throughout the course of a very lengthy 
affliction.
  The dedicated team at Elan also is working to overcome a host of 
other devastating and debilitating challenges including Parkinson's 
disease, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and severe chronic pain. 
The commitment of this corporation to defeating so many destructive 
conditions affecting the human brain is impressive. As our nation 
continues to discuss the future of health care, it is vital to remember 
that the development of therapies that will free millions of minds from 
the shackles of neurologic impairment offers incalculable value to our 
collective well-being, our economy and could inspire us to tackle even 
greater challenges in science, medicine, engineering and other vital 
aspects of life.
  I am proud that King of Prussia, Pennsylvania is home to an office of 
the Elan Corporation. The exceptional employees of that office are 
actively contributing to Pennsylvania's reputation as a center of 
innovation in the life sciences. From King of Prussia, PA, leading edge 
pharmaceuticals are enhancing the lives of millions of patients 
worldwide.
  I join all of the residents of the Seventh Congressional District of 
Pennsylvania in wishing the 1,500 employees of the Elan Corporation 
four times forty more years of successful research, development and 
delivery of life changing pharmaceuticals to patients throughout the 
world. That you ``view the human brain as the last great frontier in 
scientific research and therapy development with no greater challenge 
and no greater opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patients' 
lives'' is noble and appreciated.

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