‘Cure for dementia’ within our grasp, according to Jeremy Hunt

A cure for dementia may be within our grasp, according to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Drug companies are confident that a cure for dementia may be found by as early as 2020, according to remarks given by Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt last week.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Local Government Association, Hunt said: ‘Finding drugs that can halt or cure dementia may seem a distant prospect now but there are drugs companies that think they will have a cure for dementia by 2020’.

Alzheimer’s Society comment: ‘Dementia is the biggest health and social care challenge facing Britain today and the fact that a quarter of hospital beds are occupied by people with the condition shows the enormous burden dementia puts on the NHS. We need an all out fightback from government, industry and organisations like Alzheimer’s Society to find a cure.

‘There are currently more trials ongoing into hayfever than into some of the most common forms of dementia. It’s not just about drug companies developing new medications from scratch. Studies we’re funding show that drugs which are already licensed for other conditions may also treat dementia. If these are successful we could have them doubling as treatments for dementia within ten years.’