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A Campaign Against Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's patient and caregiver.

Alzheimer's patient and caregiver.


This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Last week, the United States government announced a major education and research campaign against Alzheimer's disease. The brain-wasting disease has no cure. The plan includes more efforts to develop drugs to prevent it.

Download PDF: A Campaign Against Alzheimer's Disease



FRANCIS COLLINS: "We have learned more about this disease in the last couple of years than probably ever before. And now the goal is to take that and translate it into interventions."



Three hundred people have agreed to be in the study. One-third of them will receive crenezumab. The others will be given a placebo, a pill that does not contain any drug. They will not know if they have been given the drug or the placebo. The study will also include a smaller number of people in the United States.


PIERRE TARIOT: "They have been faced with this devastating illness hitting every generation for hundreds of years. As one of them put it, 'There are many rivers to cross but at least we're at the first bank.' And that's kind of the attitude that people have had."

Scientists hope that if the drug works in those facing early-onset Alzheimer's, then it might also help older people.


And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. You can learn more about Alzheimer's disease and find a link to the national plan at I'm Faith Lapidus.


Contributing: Jessica Berman

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