Professor Colin Masters, an Australian scientist who has been working on a cure for Alzheimer's for the last forty years has cracked the genetic code that causes the disease. It is believed that this discovery could halve the number of sufferers by the year 2020. Tonight in honour of his life's work, Professor Masters is to be awarded Victoria's most prestigious science award - the Victoria Prize.
Professor Masters said: "The whole field is moving to a point where we are guardedly optimistic that we have the chance to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by a certain factor. That's a major achievement if in fact we can do that... that will have a major effect on the prevalence of this disease in our community."
Full Story HERE
Meanwhile back in the UK, the Alzheimer's Society and their fellow campaigners failed to win their High Court bid to have the NHS provide drugs to those people in the early stages of the disease. They are now planning to appeal the decision. Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: "The drugs can cost as little as £2.50 a day per person and could make day-to-day life far more manageable for thousands of people."
Anyone that has had a loved one suffer from this disease will know what a cruel affliction it is. Let's hope that this is not the end of Alzheimer's Society's legal challenge.
The E-Petition is still running: It asks the Prime Minister not to deny people in the early and late stages of Alzheimer’s disease access to drug treatments.
Please click HERE to visit the Alzheimer's Society.
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