The NHS is “simply not ready” for a new era of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease and is not “keeping pace with the science”, experts have warned.
New drugs and blood tests are set to transform Alzheimer’s care and diagnosis in the coming years, according to a group of 40 expert researchers.
Researchers also say medications donanemab and lecanemab, which are currently not approved for use by the NHS, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s as effectively as treatments for other conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
Writing in a series of papers published in The Lancet, they warn that without rapid reform, the potential of “major innovations” within Alzheimer’s research will not be realised.
Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said the series of papers published in The Lancet “mark the beginning of a new era in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment”.
However, he added, “The painful truth is that the NHS is simply not ready and isn’t keeping pace with the science.
“We now run the very real risk that people living with dementia will miss out on the opportunity to benefit from these big breakthroughs.
“It’s vital that the UK government keeps its eye on the ball so people with dementia aren’t left behind. We want to see better access to early diagnosis so people don’t miss out on the narrow window of eligibility to benefit from treatments which can slow Alzheimer’s disease.
“Preparing for future treatments will take a society of researchers, clinicians and decision-makers.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.
According to Alzheimer’s Society, one in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
By 2040, around 1.4 million people in the UK could be living with the condition.
Lead author for the papers Professor Giovanni Frisoni, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, said there is a need for societal change to ensure current and future Alzheimer’s patients benefit fully from scientific advances, with understanding of the disease set to “change radically in the near future”.
He said: “Blood tests, biological drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, and prevention interventions are propelling care into entirely new and exciting territory.
“However, the old needs of patients will not disappear. On the contrary, more general practitioners and dementia specialists will need to master the less glamorous but steady advances made in the past few decades in the care and treatment of behavioural disorders, the use of sophisticated diagnostic imaging and laboratory tools, and psychosocial care.
“A concerted societal effort in this direction will enable our current and future patients to benefit fully from the potential of scientific and technological advances.”
Prof Frisoni told the PA news agency the medical “revolution” will take years, but that “there’s no way back.”
His comments came after it emerged that British patients would trial a new blood test for Alzheimer’s, with results expected within three years.
New Alzheimer’s treatments donanemab and lecanemab have been licensed for use in the UK, but will not be made available on the NHS after the medicines spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), deemed their benefits “too small” to justify their cost.
David Thomas, head of policy and public affairs at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “In under a decade, the number of experimental treatments for Alzheimer’s, the leading cause of dementia, has doubled, and our understanding of the disease has advanced faster than ever before.
“Yet as these papers highlight, scientific momentum alone is not enough…Turning research breakthroughs into change for people affected by dementia is a challenge that governments and health service leaders must address.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS is currently giving patients access to every approved, evidence-based and cost-effective approach for dementia diagnosis and treatment, and we have been working to ensure local services are ready to roll out any new treatments for early-stage Alzheimer’s which are approved by Nice in the future.”
