On 25 September, at 9:30-11:00, EBC will partner with the ‘What if?’  Policy Roundtable series to present the Value of Treatment findings of the Alzheimer’s working group with the event “The Value of Treatment: Policy roundtable on the economic cost of Alzheimer’s in Europe“.

Hosted by MEP Heinz K. Becker, moderated by Geoff Meade and chaired by EBC President, Prof. Monica Di Luca, the event aims to gather experts from the VoT project and the field of Alzheimer’s.

Agenda:

9:30 Opening by Moderator – Geoff Meade
9:35 Welcome by Chair (EBC President, Prof. Monica Di Luca) & Host MEP, Heinz K. Becker
9:45 Ron Handels, University of Maastricht, The Value of Treatment project’s Alzheimer’s Working Group, The Potential Health-Economic Impact of Treating Alzheimer’s
9:55 Speaker 2: Prof. P Scheltens, Amsterdam UMC Alzheimer Centre, The Value of Treatment project’s Alzheimer’s Working Group, Patient Journey for people living with Alzheimer’s
10:05 Speaker 3: Mr Nis Nissen, Alzheimerforeningen Denmark, The cost of informal care of Alzheimer’s in Denmark
10:15-10:30 Discussants: Annette Dumas (ASDM Consulting, MOPEAD Project), Elina Suzuki (OECD), Margaret Walker (EUFAMI), Stéphane Hogan (European Commission, DG RTD)
10:30-10:50 Moderator-led discussion (with discussants first and can bring in chair and speakers)
10:50-10:55 | Mr Frédéric Destrebecq – EBC Executive Director, Calls to Action and White Paper on the future of Alzheimer’s policy in Europe
10:55-11:00 | Conclusion – Co-Host MEP Mrs Marian Harkin

Further details included below.

Introduction

Over 10.5 million people currently suffer from dementia in the EU and this figure is expected to rise to 13.4 million by 2030. With medical science fast progressing, the prospect of earlier detection, diagnosis and the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease raises a broad range of ethical and social questions.

In the absence of a disease modifying treatment or a cure, what are the ethical challenges to the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia imposes a major burden on patients, carers and society. Timely diagnosis and early intervention can help to change the patient pathway, potentially improving outcomes for patients and carers while reducing costs.

As part of the EBC Value of Treatment project, the potential impact of a hypothetical Alzheimer’s medicine was assessed by experts in the field, and ‘accurate and timely’ diagnosis and intervention were some of the key recommendations to come out of the study.

There is growing evidence in the research literature that a more proactive approach geared around the need for earlier diagnosis and intervention could go a very long way to reduce costs for both families and, eventually, the taxpayer by delaying entry to care homes and potentially opening up new possibilities for the progression of the disease to be slowed down in diagnosed individuals.

This debate must also be placed in a broader context in which European institutions and societies increasingly shift their focus on supporting their elderly population and on recognising the contribution and value of the “silver economy”.

This policy roundtable will include the presentation of the economic analysis undertaken by the Value of Treatment Alzheimer’s working group, as well as explore the “what if?” questions.