In her “Gut Check” column, STAT’s Sharon Begley notes that a NEJM report from Boston University’s Framingham Heart Study claims that “The percent of people developing dementia each year is falling significantly… raising hope that some cases can be prevented and, possibly, that the worst forecasts of a “looming dementia crisis in the United States are overblown”
The study notes that other evidence has the Alzheimer’s Association “sticking with its projection that, by 2050, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s will nearly triple, to 13.8 million Americans.
… The reluctance to dial down those forecasts might reflect “public health catastrophism,” added Dr. Jeremy Greene of Johns Hopkins, who, together with Jones, coauthored an accompanying perspective article on the Framingham study.
“It’s risky for advocates [to temper the most dire forecasts] for fear that it might bring a loss of funding,” Greene said.”
For more on this, see this list of stories on the topic of pharmaceutical support for non-profit patient groups. A bit dated, but USA Today offered an update in January.
Health charities say they work with drug companies in the search for cures. Corporate support is a standard form of fundraising for non-profits. The stories linked above question whether those relationships — and the dollars that come with them — bias these health groups. Will they challenge the efficacy of a new drug if they get tens of thousands from the drug’s maker?
So, how much does the Alzheimer’s Association get from drug makers? No one knows –non-profits are not required to report donations. Deep into its annual report, you’ll find a list of donors, but not exact amounts of donations.
Include:
Actavis
Amgen Foundation
AstraZeneca
Axovant
Biogen Idec
Eli Lilly
Forum Pharmaceuticals
Genentech/Roche
Janssen Pharmaceutical
Merck
Some of the same companies sponsored the group’s annual conference.
