Andy Burnham announces £48m partnership in bid to find dementia cure

Andy Burnham has vowed to make dementia research a key national focus following the announcement of a £48 million commercial partnership to accelerate the search for a cure.

Speaking after his father Roy died from Alzheimer’s last month, the Prime Minister said he wanted Britain "to be the country that makes the breakthrough".

A government investment of £33 million will combine with funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK and Gates Ventures to recruit more people for clinical studies.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s Innovation Nation Summit in Manchester, Mr Burnham said: “Dementia is a devastatingly cruel disease, not only for those who live with it, but for the families who care for them.

“For too long, we have accepted dementia as something to be managed later in life, rather than a disease we can defeat.

“I don’t accept that.

“In fact, I have real hope that we can come together and do exactly that.

“I want Britain to be the country that makes the breakthrough and delivers the cure for dementia the world has been waiting for.

“That is why I am making dementia research a national priority – by backing the NHS, universities, researchers and industry to drive the breakthroughs we desperately need.

“This investment goes hand in hand with our plans for a National Care Service, helping ensure that people living with dementia get the care and support they need, and giving families peace of mind that their loved ones will be cared for.”

The capital will support The Barbara Alliance, set up in memory of the late EastEnders star Dame Barbara Windsor to speed up new dementia treatments.

A new platform will link health records, scientific data and clinical trial infrastructure to make candidate selection for future studies much simpler.

Dementia will also be made one of the top priorities of the new Health Data Research Service, backed by up to £600 million from the Government and the Wellcome Trust.

The service will bring together NHS and research data in one system to help scientists identify suitable patients.

It is understood that one project will see GSK use health data to explore a possible association between the company’s shingles vaccine and a reduced risk of dementia.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This cruel disease has done so much damage to families across our country, and for too long we have lacked the tools to fight back.

“This investment will help us turn the tide on dementia, helping us to speed up diagnosis, accelerate research and give more people the chance to take part in trials that could transform their futures.

“We are also determined to ensure that every person living with dementia gets the care they deserve, and that no family is left to fend for themselves when a loved one needs support.

“So, alongside this new investment, we will ensure that the treatment of dementia is one of the central priorities of our new National Care Service.”

Responding to the announcement, Dame Barbara’s widower Scott Mitchell said: “I was with Barbara when we went to Downing Street to meet then-prime minister Boris Johnson.

“She said to him, ‘Now come on, darling, you’ve got to do something about helping people with this dementia business. There’s not enough money for it. There’s not enough funding’.

“For me, this means Barbara won’t just be remembered for her bra flying off in Carry On Camping, she’s got a second legacy.

“I’m hugely excited with the progress being made and today’s announcement from the Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who also has personal experience like myself and so many others.”