Alzheimer’s Research UK is named BIA Charity of the Year for 2017

The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) is pleased to announce Alzheimer’s Research UK as its Charity of the Year for 2017.

The partnership will work together to raise the profile of research and development for dementia in the UK and help to raise money for the charity at the BIA’s annual Gala Dinner in January.

The BIA has worked with the charity this year on its Celebrating UK Bioscience campaign that looked at how the Dementia Discovery Fund, launched in 2015 by Alzheimer’s Research UK, the Department of Health and global pharmaceutical companies, supported BIA member Gen2 Neuroscience in its work to tackle dementia.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading research charity aiming to defeat dementia, powering world-class studies that increase the chance of beating dementia sooner. Their pioneering work focuses on prevention, treatment and cure, and they are energising a movement across society to support, fund and take part in dementia research.

Developing a treatment by 2020 that could delay the onset of dementia by five years would mean there would be:

• a 36% reduction in dementia cases
• 450,000 fewer people with dementia
• 400,000 fewer family carers

Steve Bates, CEO of the BIA, said:

“I am delighted to be working with Hilary Evans and the team at Alzheimer’s Research UK. The charity’s high profile campaign work has played a pivotal role in raising the profile of dementia research in the UK and they play an active role on the ground working through the Dementia Discovery Fund and other initiatives to invest in the pioneering research taking place across the globe.”

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as the BIA’s charity of the year. With their support, we will be able to increase focus on our shared priorities of establishing the UK as a world-leader in research, building support for the biotech sector to help speed up progress towards much-needed new dementia treatments. We very much look forward to working with the BIA team to improve awareness of dementia, raise vital funds and boost progress in dementia research.”

A number of the BIA’s members are working across the dementia space including Accera Inc, Biosignatures Limited, Gen2 Neuroscience, Midven and Pfizer Global Research & Development.

You can watch the BIA video which features Dr Matt Norton, Director of Policy and Strategy, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Kate Bingham, Managing Partner SV Life Sciences (Dementia Discovery Fund), Dr Rick Livesey, CEO Gen2 Neuroscience and Joy Watson, dementia patient and Alzheimer’s Research UK supporter: http://bia.me/DDF_video

To buy tickets for the Gala Dinner go to www.biagaladinner.org