Trends for AD

Age is the strongest predictor for the development and progression of AD. According to ADEAR (Alzheimer disease Education and Referral Center), a service of the NIA (National Institute of Ageing), the number of people with AD doubles every 5 years after the age of 65.2 AD is a terminal disease, with deterioration in physical and mental health over time. Cause of death is usually pneumonia and infections as a result of the weakened immune system. [i] With the rapidly aging population of our society, AD clearly poses a major health problem. There are approximately 8-10 million people affected with AD within countries with strong pharmaceutical markets. (UK, USA, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) and these numbers will most likely continue to rise as the ‘baby boomer’ generation approach 65 years of age. Pharmaceutical sales of cholinesterase inhibitors, the only major approved class at present for AD, are estimated to be at approximately 1 billion dollars, with about 60% of diagnosed AD patients receiving medications. This market will most likely grow with a three to five fold increase with the inclusion of patients diagnosed with MCI (mild cognitive impairment), a precursor to AD.  Much will depend on whether MCI is recognized as a reimbursable disease

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[i] http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/?lm1=D8105B21BD2C. Alzheimer Europe. Last accessed March 09, 2004.