The main outcomes of the second phase of the Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease project will be presented by Prof. Dr. Sebastiaan Engelborghs, Full professor of neurology and neurosciences (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and a co-chair of the Scientific Panel Dementia and Cognitive Disorders (European Academy of Neurology) in a scientific theatre Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease: From Diagnosis to Care at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Helsinki. The session will take place on 24 June 2025 from 10:35-11:05 (Helsinki time).

We are at a historical crossroads in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, with new treatments becoming available in various countries. For the first time in history, science is delivering new, potentially disease-modifying treatments for devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the current healthcare system and regulatory frameworks do not easily allow the implementation of such innovations, even for the subset of people living with Alzheimer’s who would be eligible.

The ‘Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease: From Diagnosis to Care’ Perspective Paper was launched in September 2024 on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s month. This Perspective Paper does not merely document the status quo but challenges it – motivating the reader to rethink how Alzheimer’s Disease is addressed. By offering a comprehensive review of current practices, identifying gaps and barriers, and proposing policy recommendations, this report seeks to reshape the Alzheimer’s disease healthcare pathway in ways that enhance outcomes and quality of life for all involved, and thereby reduce the impact on society.

Prof. Dr. Sebastiaan Engelborghs
Full professor of neurology and neurosciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Co-Chair of the EAN Scientific Panel Dementia and Cognitive Disorders 

Sebastiaan Engelborghs is full professor of neurology and neurosciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), chair of research group NEUR (Neuroprotection & Neuromodulation), co-director of the VUB Center for Neurosciences (C4N) and chairman of the neurology department of the VUB university hospital (UZ Brussel). He is co-founder and co-director of the transdisciplinary memory clinic in UZ Brussel, Brussels Integrated Center for Brain and Memory (Bru-BRAIN). He as well is full professor of neurosciences and neurochemistry at University of Antwerp.

Sebastiaan Engelborghs is board certified in clinical neurology (2001) and neurological revalidation medicine (2009). He achieved a PhD in medical sciences in 2004 and has interdisciplinary expertise in clinical neurology and neurosciences, including electrophysiology, neuroimaging, biochemistry, neurogenetics and neuropathology. Both clinically and with regard to research, he is specialized in neurodegenerative brain disorders that cause dementia. He has built up expertise in clinical trials for AD and related disorders for more than 25 years and was PI as well as national or global coordinating physician for several clinical trials, as well as being involved in the design of some of these clinical trials. Sebastiaan Engelborghs serves as co-chair of the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium (EADC), as co-chair of the dementia and cognitive disorders scientific panel (SP) of European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and is vice-president of the Belgian Dementia Council (BeDeCo). He is co-inventor of one patent and is academic promoter of two spin-off companies, Epilog and ADx Neurosciences.

He is (co-)author on 432 PubMed-cited papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 19 book chapters which results in 35.228 citations without self-citations, and a h-index of 82.

Walking the Talk for Dementia is an immersive experience that challenges conventional power dynamics and hierarchies in healthcare by using shared vulnerability as a catalyst for transformation. The third edition is set to take place from 24-31 August 2025 in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) under the overarching theme ‘Rethinking the Future of Dementia’.

It consists of a 40 km, four-day walk along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (Spain) for deepen connections and diversify perspectives, followed by a two-day symposium to transform shared experiences into action.

Participants include individuals working, researching, and living with dementia, both inspired and affected by this diagnosis. Together they will explore and highlight a variety of key issues related to dementia across social, geographical, cultural, and professional backgrounds.

If you are interested to learn more about how to participate, please contact: fernando.peres@gbhi.org

A brief presentation on the key takeaways of the Perspective Paper by Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, then followed. Dementia costs global economies 1.2 trillion euros in 2019 – with 50% of this considerable sum attributed to informal caregiving. These numbers indicate that change is urgent, as early and effective treatments could help reduce these costs and alleviate burdens on families and caregivers. Key priorities include well-defined post-diagnostic pathways, funding, timely access to treatments, and high-quality care – prompting the need for a shift from late-stage care to early-stage active treatment and management. Society must rethink its approach to Alzheimer’s Disease, ensuring scientific progress translates into improved lives for patients and families.

Keeping these key priorities in mind, an Expert Panel Discussion brought to light the perspective of patient, caregiver, researchers and neurologists on how Alzheimer’s affects everyone involved, at a personal and societal level. The experts shared examples of successful support systems and impactful interventions. Moderated by Laura Campo, Executive Director International Corporate Affairs at Eli Lilly and Company, this panel included:

• Ron Handels, Assistant Professor, Alzheimer Centre Limburg Maastricht University
• Argonde van Harten, Medical Specialist in Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam UMC
• Hassan Fadli, Founder of 5 Ironmans Beat Alzheimer’s Initiative
• Helen Rochford-Brennan, Vice Chair, Irish Dementia Working Group

The successful event concluded with an interactive networking lunch, connecting speakers and attendees in the room. Discussions across sectors are critical in order to keep Alzheimer’s Disease high on the policy agenda. By facilitating the interaction between key stakeholders, scientists, and society as a whole this event in the European Parliament added immensurable value to the Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease project.

All Photographs were taken by Sylvain Crasset, more pictures can be found here!

The European Brain Council (EBC), in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), is very pleased to launch the “Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease Pathway: From Diagnosis to Care” Perspective Paper on the occasion of the World Alzheimer’s Month. The aim of this report is not merely to document the status quo, but to challenge it—to rethink how we approach Alzheimer’s treatment, care and management. By offering a comprehensive review of current practices, identifying challenges, gaps and barriers, and proposing policy recommendations, this report seeks to reshape the Alzheimer’s disease healthcare pathway in ways that enhance outcomes and quality of life for all involved, and reduce the impact on society.

About Alzheimer’s Disease 

Millions of Europeans will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the next decades. Already more than 55 million people (of which two thirds are women) currently live with dementia worldwide, whereof Alzheimer’s is the most common form (60–70% of cases). While Alzheimer’s disease is often considered a devastating disease against which nothing can be done, society is now entering an era where we start to rethink Alzheimer’s as a treatable and manageable condition.  

Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by slow and progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain resulting in the impaired formation of new memories, difficulties with language and processing of images, and decline in executive function –the capacity of going through a series of steps, like following a recipe to cook a meal or booking a flight online. Alzheimer’s symptoms also include behavioural alterations such as apathy, irritability or even aggressive behaviour. 

We are pleased to announce that the second phase of the Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease project kicks off! Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease, coordinated by EBC, in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), is a research-driven project offering policy recommendations to make tangible changes with the aim to improve the lives of people living with Alzheimer’s disease across Europe. The second phase will focus on how we can rethink the way we approach Alzheimer’s disease patient pathway from diagnosis to care.

About Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses in stages, beginning with a long silent phase before symptoms occur. It is the underlying cause in 70% of people with dementia. Dementia, which is not a specific disease but an overall term that describes a group of symptoms, is characterised by a decline in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.

It is estimated that 7 million people in Europe alone already live with Alzheimer’s disease. With a rapidly ageing population, it is a growing public health concern worldwide as this number is projected to rise to a staggering 14 million by 2030.

Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Pathway: From Diagnosis to Care 

Given that timely detection and diagnosis are crucial for disease management, the White Paper of the 1st phase of the project “Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease: Detection & Diagnosis” examined the challenges that need to be overcome in the EU to ensure the health care systems are appropriately equipped to provide timely and accurate diagnosis to those who may benefit most from new diagnostic tools and therapies. 

The second phase “Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Pathway: From Diagnosis to Care” will take a deep dive into transformative approaches to the care pathway. The Perspective Paper, to be released as part of the project, will provide concrete policy recommendations and will seek to reshape the patient pathway in ways that enhance outcomes and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s. 

About the Rethinking projects

The Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease project falls under the Rethinking project series, led by EBC. The aim of the Rethinking projects is to develop policy priorities around challenges in brain disorders and present a consensus on what needs to be achieved to resolve the most pressing challenges in brain conditions, today and in the future. There is a clear need to rethink the management of the brain disorders and redesign the care pathways to ensure optimal treatment and care for all people living with brain disorders in Europe.  

EBC also held an e-poster presentation “Rethinking Alzheimer’s disease: Cross-roads in the earlier detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s” featuring the Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease White Paper. The Paper calls on policymakers to drive national, EU and international policies that can improve the
lives of people living with AD, and ensure health systems are better prepared to support early detection and diagnosis now, and when future innovative detection and diagnostic tools and therapies become available.

The poster was presented by Prof. Charlotte Teunissen, Professor in Neurochemistry, Chair of the Neurochemistry lab (Amsterdam UMC) and one of the experts involved in the Rethinking Alzheimer’s Disease project.

• Reiterating the importance of a person-centric approach to developing new treatments and strengthening health systems in support of people living with dementias including Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Highlighting the progress countries have made since the 2023 G7 communiqué in Japan supported “policies and resources to care for people living with dementia,” including on early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and on the development of new therapeutics.
• Building consensus on the urgent need for sustained global collaboration toward healthy aging and brain health, including in addressing Alzheimer’s and dementia, supporting the realization of national plans, coordination, and knowledge sharing at the global level.

EBC looks forward to participating in this critical discussion: Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC’s Executive Director, will be speaking during the ‘Defining the Opportunities for Global Action’ panel alongside Chris Lynch (Alzheimer’s Disease International), Charlotte Refsum (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change), Wade Shen (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health). The discussion will be moderated by George Vradenburg (Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative) and will take place at 16:10-16:50 CEST. Panelists will be sharing insights on how we can enable countries to build sustained global collaboration toward healthy ageing and brain health.

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative

The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) is a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and improve brain health, seeking to mirror the success of global efforts against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Covid, and Malaria. DAC is extending global research beyond its current focus on traditional Western European ethnic populations into the highly diversified populations of the Global South, where the vast majority of those with Alzheimer’s live. By introducing lower-cost screening and diagnostic tools as well as new treatment and prevention modalities in primary care and community health settings, DAC is driving implementation of health system solutions that are appropriate for worldwide application. DAC also promotes the vital importance of brain health throughout the lifespan by addressing cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors, especially in early and mid-life. Absent effective action at scale around the world, by 2050, more than 150 million families and half a billion people will be personally impacted by dementia, creating a social, financial, economic, and global security disaster of historic proportions. DAC was launched in Davos in 2021 by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Please note that requesting registration does not guarantee admission to the event. You will be notified by a member of the DAC team if your request is approved.