Alzheimer Europe
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
JUNE 2017 ALZHEIMER EUROPE TABLE OF NEWSLETTER CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE 01 6 June Is the future of European health policy in jeopardy? 14 Welcome 27 June: European Dementia Monitor 2017 is published 4 02 27 June: Lunch debate focuses on treatment for AD 2 Alzheimer Europe 28 June: Scotland launches its third dementia strategy 21 06 30 June: SMART4MD project begins feasibility study 11 27AEC – Meet the 3 July: 27AEC is attracting record numbers of registrations 6 speakers 07 WE LCOME EU projects The Alzheimer Europe (AE) announced that its LCS study is now 12 team has just returned from recruiting volunteers in San Sebastian, Spain Alzheimer Europe Brussels, where we had and the project’s “Academy”, aiming to Networking another series of successful leverage project resources to foster and meetings, including a Board develop academic research capacity and 13 meeting, Company Round output in AD has also been launched this European Alzheimer’s Table, Public Affairs month, and Project Officers Cindy and Chris Alliance meeting and a European are officially Fellows. Last but not least on Parliament lunch debate. I would like to the project front, I would like to personally 13 thank all speakers and participants, with a congratulate Simon Lovestone, of EMIF and EU developments special mention for the MEPs who joined us: EPAD, for his recent knighthood in the Deirdre Clune (Ireland) hosted the debate, Queen’s birthday honours, for services to 16 while her colleagues Heinz Becker (Austria), neuroscience research. Truly deserved! Members’ news Sirpa Pietikäinen (Finland), Nessa Childers On a less positive note, there have been a 20 (Ireland) and Sofia Ribeiro (Portugal) also number of concerns regarding the future of Policy watch participated and Hilde Vautmans (Belgium) European health policy. A joint letter, signed was represented. European collaboration on by AE and 38 other organisations, has been 22 the dementia challenge is paramount, and sent to President Jean Claude Junker Science watch the active participation of MEPs in events highlighting these fears and asking for an like these is very encouraging. During the urgent meeting. We remain optimistic and 24 debate, we also launched our European will keep you appraised of any updates. Living with dementia Dementia Monitor 2017, a benchmark of To end on a high note, I am excited to see national dementia policies in Europe, which 25 that momentum is building for our Annual can be found in our website e-shop. Dementia in society Conference, which has attracted a record On the national policy front, I would like to number of registrations within the “Early 25 say a huge congratulations to our friends in Bird” fee period, which closed at the end of New Publications and Scotland, where a third National Dementia June. Registrations, which are already close resources Strategy has been launched. It was a to 600, will remain open until 22 September. pleasure for me, also, to join our Scottish We look forward to what promises to be 26 colleagues earlier in the month, for their another interactive and well-attended Job Opportunities annual conference, at which I presented the conference this October in Berlin! impact of “Brexit” on dementia research. 27 As in recent years, we will combine July and On the EU project news front, another August into one summer newsletter. In the AE calendar 2017 promising EU project, the four-year meantime, enjoy the sunshine! 27 SMART4MD project has just launched its Jean Georges feasibility study, paving the way for its main Conferences 2017 Executive Director study later this year. Meanwhile, EPAD 1 JUNE 2017 insight into the possible work domains of Gerontologists and ALZHEIMER EUROPE to highlight aspects of the university curriculum that helped 2 June: AE Executive Director discusses Brexit them to find employment. implications for dementia During the morning presentations, two students from the master’s programme of Dortmund and Vechta spoke about At the Annual Conference of possibilities to engage in a master’s programme with a focus in Alzheimer Scotland in Edinburgh Gerontology. The next panellist Cathrin Autenrieb, spoke on 2 June 2017, Jean Georges, the about her involvement in the conceptualisation to realisation Executive Director of Alzheimer of a home for elderly people in Heidelberg and engagement in Europe, gave an overview of social services. Christophe then introduced AE, its work, some of the potential implications newsletter and the two IMI2 projects (ROADMAP and of Brexit for dementia: MOPEAD) in which he is involved. After that, Andreas With 5% of nurses, 10% of doctors, 5% of adult care Schindler introduced his work in the “Demographie-Netzwerk workers, 16% of academics and 14% of PhD students e.V. (ddn)”, followed by Ann-Kristin Folkerts explaining her currently working in the UK coming from other European path to a doctorate and her work in the research group Union countries, any restrictions to the freedom of “Medical Psychology ¦ Neuropsychology and Gender Studies, movement will undoubtedly have consequences for the at the University Hospital of Cologne. The sessions then ended work force in these sectors. with a presentation by Tomke zur Brügge who is Project The conduct of clinical trials across EU countries has been Coordinator of a regional care project “Perspektive Pflege!”. simplified thanks to the EU regulations on clinical trials This was followed by an open discussion round between the and on data protection. With the UK leaving the European panellists and the attending students. Union, these frameworks will no longer apply and https://www.facebook.com/events/175141419683208/ companies will need to submit applications for clinical 26 June: Alzheimer Europe Board meets in trials under two different systems with potentially Brussels conflicting sets of rules. The approval of new medicines at EU level is effectively The Alzheimer Europe Board members convened in Brussels done by the European Medicines Agency thanks also to on 26-27 June. The meeting agenda included various financial th the active collaboration of British regulators. After Brexit, and operational matters, including preparations for the 27 the European system will lose the fantastic expertise of Alzheimer Europe Conference, which will be held in Berlin, UK regulators whilst the UK will need to set up a new Germany from 2 to 4 October 2017. The Board also discussed parallel system to that of the European Medicines Agency. the next two annual conferences. The next Board meeting will The participation of UK universities and researchers in take place on 2 October in Berlin and will be followed by AE’s European research mechanisms such as the Innovative Annual General Meeting. Medicines Initiative or the Horizon2020 programme will 27 June: Alzheimer Europe Lunch debate need to be renegotiated. focuses on current and future treatment for In his presentation, Jean Georges highlighted that the future Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias collaboration between the UK and the European Union on all On 27 June, Alzheimer Europe held a successful lunch debate four highlighted areas would depend on the good will of policy in the European Parliament chaired by MEP Deirdre Clune makers on both sides to find compromise solutions during the (Ireland) which focused on the current and future treatment of Brexit negotiations, but he also committed Alzheimer Europe Alzheimer’s dementia. to continuing its excellent collaboration with Alzheimer The lunch debate gathered over 50 people including MEPs Scotland in the future. Heinz Becker (Austria) Nessa Childers (Ireland) Sirpa 17 June: AE presents at University of Vechta’s Pietikäinen (Finland) and Sofia Ribeiro (Portugal). The audience Gerontology Future Day included representatives from 19 Alzheimer Europe member On 17 June, the University of Vechta, associations and several pharmaceutical companies. Germany hosted a “Gerontology Future The numbers of people with dementia in Europe is increasing Day” (Zukunftstag der Gerontologie). and still there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD) or any The panel session was organised by the other common type of dementia. student board of Gerontology and Medicines have been developed for AD that can temporarily included presentations from 7 alumnae, alleviate symptoms, or slow down their progression in some including Alzheimer Europe (AE) Project people, but these treatments have limited efficacy. Officer Christophe Bintener. The aim of Yet, despite an unprecedented research focus on AD and the sessions was to give the students an dementia at European and global level, attempts to develop 2 JUNE 2017 new drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease have so far been impact on research, and what would be the effect for the rest unsuccessful. of Europe since so much research was taking place within the However our understanding of the underlying disease UK. processes causing Alzheimer’s dementia has increased. The MEP Heinz Becker stated he was very impressed with the four speakers at the lunch debate presented an overview of debate and offered the full support of the European past present and future treatment and research into Parliament asking what academia and research needed. treatments for AD. MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen thanked AE for an inspiring interactive The first speaker was Prof. Alexander Kurz, (Technical and a high quality meeting but commented “What if we have University of Munich, Germany) who highlighted the current got it wrong? How serious is this, could it be the “the 4th type pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological of diabetes” Helen Rochford Brennan from the European management options. Working Group of People with Dementia also commented, The second speaker was Prof. Simon Lovestone, (University of asking “are we really looking in the right place?” Oxford, United Kingdom) who gave an update on researchers’ Executive Director Jean Georges commented, “It is great to latest understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s hear this message of hope and the new focus on preventing dementia.