Giving Compass' Take:

• FasterCures highlights opportunities for donors to make an impact on Alzheimer's disease by developing treatment therapies.

• Are you properly positioned to take steps for therapy development? How can therapies be made accessible to all who need them? 

• Learn how to find and fund scientific research. 

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and claims the lives of more than 500,000 people in the United States alone each year. Currently, more than 5 million Americans are living with this disease. The economic impact of AD is significant, costing the United States $214 billion in 2014 and on pace to escalate to more than $1 trillion over the next four decades.

Despite significant attention and investment from government and industry, progress in the areas of clinical research and integrated care has been modest at best. Our society remains at the mercy of this disease as a result of:

  • poor understanding of disease onset and progression,
  • gaps in funding to support high-risk research efforts,
  • insufficient research tools and companion resources,
  • lack of disease-modifying treatment options, and
  • limited public awareness of the societal impact of this disease.

It is imperative that we significantly improve upon the aforementioned deficiencies to avoid the economic and social catastrophe that accompanies AD. Strategic focus on funding high-impact research and critical infrastructure to support both AD research and patients will be essential to reaching this goal.

The FasterCures Philanthropy Advisory Service has developed this Giving Smarter Guide for Alzheimer’s disease with the specific aim of empowering patients, supporters, and stakeholders to make strategic and informed decisions with respect to directing their philanthropic investments and energy into research and development efforts. Readers will be able to use this guide ultimately to pinpoint research solutions aligned with their interests.