Pandemic's Impact for Those with Dementia

If you're concerned about memory loss, this show will interest you. Kevin Church, Chief Science Officer of Athira Pharma, joins Suzanne this hour to talk about Alzheimer's disease and developing treatments. Alzheimer's is growing, a critical unmet need, with 6.5 million American adults diagnosed, and byy 2050 there could be as many as 50 million patients. The average age of onset is between 70 to 75, usually diagnosed in one's 60s. The long-term impacts of the lockdown and pandemic are being researched, but researchers are seeing that Covid infection has increased the risk of developing dementia later, and it may have worsened ongoing dementia. People in some cases avoided going to the doctor for years, and may have gotten diagnosed later than they would have without the pandemic. Athira seeks to develop treatments for neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease as well as Parkinson’s Disease, PD Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and ALS. They conduct clinical trials, and their lead compound fosgonimeton targets a neurotropic factor to help nerve cells grow. To learn more about the lead compound, watch Athia's YouTube video. Learn more about Athira's focus on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and visit the LIFT-AD Clinical Trial website to see if you qualify for a clinical trial in your area. See AFE's Alzheimer's and Dementia page and AFE's Athira Pharma podcasts page for more shows about these topics. Courtesy of Athira Pharma.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.