Andy Burnham unveils £48m partnership in bid to ‘defeat’ dementia

Andy Burnham pledging to make dementia research a national priority will “restore hope”, a dementia expert has said.

The Prime Minister, whose father Roy died last month after suffering from Alzheimer’s, announced a £48 million industry partnership to accelerate the search for a dementia cure on Thursday.

And speaking at the Innovation Nation Summit in Manchester a day later, Burnham said he wants to make the UK a world-leading “innovation nation”.

Dr Sonya Miller, medical director at TauRx Therapeutics Management, an Aberdeen-based company that has developed a potential oral treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, said: “It is well acknowledged that dementia has been the UK’s leading cause of death over the last two years, but it is a situation that is felt globally, with someone somewhere in the world developing dementia every three seconds.

“The announcement by the Prime Minister demonstrates his Government’s commitment to addressing the situation, and it is a move that should be applauded.

“It is through research that we restore hope – something that has been so very much needed for those who have received a dementia diagnosis, as well as their families.

“As an industry we continue to make progress with potential treatments, but with this strong commitment and support from government, we will be able to help ease the burden placed on those affected by Alzheimer’s disease in the not-too-distant future.”