“2016 – Is this the end of the 100 year plus battle against Alzheimer’s Disease?”
Since 2000, there have been in excess of 1,000 clinical trials conducted in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with the aim of either treating the symptoms of the disease or slowing down the progression of this devastating disease. However, 99.6% of these drug trials have failed to show any effect whatsoever in treating these subjects.
AD is an increasing global epidemic with some 35 million people currently estimated to be suffering from this disease and this prevalence is estimated to triple by 2050. The disease is both progressive and irreversible and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) has estimated the global cost of caring for people with dementia at $604 billion (USD).
As the world’s population ages, these costs are expected to soar. The ADI predicts a massive increase in costs by 2030 to more than $1 trillion (USD). Moreover, AD exacts a tremendous toll on families and caregivers alike.
Huge global focus has been given to this disease with unprecedented collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry between key pharma companies.
In Q4 this year, there will be a read-out of one of the most eagerly awaited clinical trials in AD and, the outcome of this trial could, potentially, change the outlook for hundreds of millions of people in the years to come…
Dr. Lynne Hughes B Med Sci., Ph.D., PMP
Vice President and Head of Centre of Excellence, Neurology, Quintiles.
Lynne Hughes has worked in clinical research for more than 30 years and has lived and worked during this time period in both the US and in Europe. She has been with Quintiles for 20 years and is currently Vice President and Global Head of the Centre of Excellence for Neurology and also for the Autism and the Acute Care & Pain CoEs.
Lynne has worked exclusively in neurology while at Quintiles and has managed global development programs both from the operational perspective as a program director and also from the design perspective – working with many clients on their clinical development plan for their product.
She has provided consultancy advice in Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, acute care, epilepsy and pain, and has been involved in a number of investment opportunities within Quintiles. In particular, she sits on a number of advisory boards, with particular interest in neurocognitive assessment and design of appropriate studies to assess neurocognitive dysfunction.
She is a member of a number of steering and / or executive committees for clients and has responsibility for several consultancy programs for investment opportunities within all areas of neurology. Her current role is in developing evidence-based strategies for the most efficient conduct of clinical trials / programs for our clients and leads both the Neurology Centre of Excellence and the Acute Care & Pain Centre of Excellence which is providing therapeutic input and expertise for conducting trials in subjects across all neurological and pain indications..
These virtual CoE teams involve experts from every service within Quintiles and provide consolidated scientific, therapeutic and operational input and support for clients’ drug development, from a clinical trial development plan to a stand-alone trial. She has been involved, to varying extents, in the development of every neurology product on the market today. She is PMP certified and has been since 2000 and this certification is up to date.