First one cured of Alzheimer’s could be alive today

Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched its biggest campaign yet, The First One, joining forces with BAFTA Award-winning actor and writer Aimee Lou Wood.

Launching today during World Alzheimer’s Month, the campaign centres on the message that someone alive today could be the first one cured of Alzheimer’s disease.

It highlights how a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is now within reach and the vital role research plays in getting to that day faster.

At the heart of The First One is a powerful new film, voiced by Aimee Lou Wood, who has witnessed the impact of dementia on close friends and their loved ones. The soundtrack is provided by iconic Grammy-winning rock band The Cure and their 1985 hit In Between Days.

Watch our new film, The First One

 

 

The film shows how the first one to be cured of Alzheimer’s disease could be in any crowd and from any walk of life.

Among the people featured in the campaign film are individuals who have been personally impacted by dementia, scientists working to find a cure, and passionate supporters who are backing the charity and its vital work.

Alzheimer’s Research UK supporter Dineo Moema was one of those who appeared in the film.

Dineo said: “My family has lived through dementia twice. Sadly, my experience isn’t uncommon. This campaign brings together people from all walks of life, united by the heartbreak it causes and by the determination to reach a cure.”

 

Aimee Lou Wood said: “I was struck by an overwhelming sense of optimism when watching the film for the first time. The idea that someone alive today could be the first person to be cured of Alzheimer’s disease is breathtaking; it shows how research is transforming something that, for too long, has felt completely out of reach.”

She added: “By backing dementia research, we aren’t just wishing for a better future anymore – we’re actively helping to build it. There is truly no more exciting prospect than that.”

 

 

Almost one million people are currently living with dementia in the UK, and this could rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

If nothing changes, one in two people in the UK will be directly affected by dementia in their lifetime – either by developing the condition themselves, caring for someone with it, or both.

The campaign launches at a time when dementia research is at a turning point, sparked by the arrival of the first treatments to slow the disease process of Alzheimer’s.

More than 190 trials are currently underway testing potential new medicines for their ability to slow or stop the disease. And a blood test that could revolutionise Alzheimer’s diagnosis is expected before 2030.

As well as a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease, other life-changing breakthroughs are on the horizon, including faster ways to diagnose, and progress in the search for cures for other forms of dementia.

Hilary Evans-Newton CBE, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The idea that someone alive today could become the first person cured of Alzheimer’s disease would have seemed unimaginable not long ago. Today, thanks to decades of research, it’s a future we know is within reach.”

She added: “A cure is in sight, but only research will deliver it. At Alzheimer’s Research UK, we are dedicated to accelerating this progress to get us there faster.”

 

Watch and share our new film, The First One, and help get to a cure faster.