Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bill Gates Notes Family History Of Alzheimer's While Pledging $50M To Help Fight Disease
The Washington Post: Bill Gates Joins The Fight Against Alzheimer’s — And It’s Personal
Billionaire Bill Gates is personally investing $50 million to help fund research to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia Gates says has struck members of his own family. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, which destroys memory and other mental processes, so Gates said he is investing his own money in the Dementia Discovery Fund, a private-public partnership to search for a solution. (Bever, 11/13)
Marketplace: Bill Gates Says Big Data Can Help Solve The Alzheimer's Puzzle
Today, the philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft announced he is investing $50 million in the Dementia Discovery Fund to accelerate research and progress in tackling the disease, which affects more than five million Americans. The investment is a personal one, not part of the foundation's work. Gates spoke with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio about why he's optimistic about a breakthrough. (Brancaccio, 11/13)
CNN: Bill Gates' Newest Mission: Curing Alzheimer's
It's one of the holy grails of science: a cure for Alzheimer's. Currently, there is no treatment to stop the disease, let alone slow its progression. And billionaire Bill Gates thinks he will change that. "I believe there is a solution," he told me without hesitation. "Any type of treatment would be a huge advance from where we are today," he said, but "the long-term goal has got to be cure." (Gupta, 11/14)
Reuters: Bill Gates Makes $100 Million Personal Investment To Fight Alzheimer's
With rapidly rising numbers of people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, the disease is taking a growing emotional and financial toll as people live longer, Gates told Reuters in an interview. “It’s a huge problem, a growing problem, and the scale of the tragedy - even for the people who stay alive - is very high,” he said. Despite decades of scientific research, there is no treatment that can slow the progression of Alzheimer‘s. Current drugs can do no more than ease some of the symptoms. (Kelland, 11/13)
