September 21 is World Alzheimer's Day. NovaMedica supports this awareness raising campaign

September 21 marks World Alzheimer's Day, a date when many people and organizations join forces to draw attention to the urgency of finding a cure for this disease and associated dementia. Information support for this topic is also intended to raise public awareness of the growing consequence of Alzheimer’s disease and measures for its early detection. NovaMedica considers it important to join this awareness raising campaign and once again emphasize our commitment to consistent search for new solutions, development and promotion of drugs for the treatment of this socially significant disease.

Alzheimer's is a chronic disease of the nervous system, which involves steady progressive destruction of brain tissue, and the brain ceases to perform its functions properly, leading to problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Dementia is a constellation of symptoms caused by organic damage to the brain. In 60-70% of cases, Alzheimer's disease is the cause of dementia. In the early stages, symptoms of dementia may be minimal, but as the disease increasingly affects the brain, they aggravate. This pathology was first described by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906.

World Alzheimer's Day has been celebrated annually since 1994 upon the initiative of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). The 2023 campaign theme is “Never too early, never too late”. It aims to highlight the key role of identifying risk factors and taking preventive measures to reduce them in order to delay and perhaps even prevent the onset of dementia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 55 million people living with dementia worldwide, and this number increases by almost 10 million every year^[1]. Currently, dementia ranks seventh in the world among the leading causes of death, as well as disability of elderly people and their dependence on outside help. The number of patients with dementia is expected to rise to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050 ^[2].

Oksana KRASNYKH, Head of the Business Unit, NovaMedica:

“There is growing awareness around the world and in our country that Alzheimer's disease and associated dementia are becoming increasingly significant social factors in society, with the number of people living with dementia worldwide expected to nearly triple by 2050. There has never been a greater understanding that it is time to actively respond to the need to find every possible tool to combat this disease. We are trying to make our contribution to consistent movement in this direction, too. Thus, NovaMedica recently registered and launched a drug of its own development, MIOREOL^®, for the treatment of dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease, which received high marks from experts and is in demand by patients. We intend to continue supporting research in this area and looking for ways to improve the quality of life of patients with this diagnosis and their families.”

MIOREOL^® is a combination drug product intended for the treatment of patients suffering from moderate to severe dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Its innovation lies in the combination in one dosage form of two molecules – Donepezil and Memantine, which complement each other’s action. The drug is NovaMedica’s own development, and it is produced in Russia at the facilities of the NovaMedica Innotech Technology Center (100% subsidiary of NovaMedica), which ensures its uninterrupted supply to the market.

Useful links:

As is the case with most diseases, early diagnosis of dementia and prompt start of treatment can help improve the patient's condition. The 2023 campaign therefore aims to provide people with as much information as possible about early detection of disease symptoms and risk reduction strategies. To help spread this knowledge, we are sharing links to useful information on these topics compiled by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), the world's leading volunteer organization Alzheimer's Association, and the Memory of Generations Charity Foundation.

• Project Dementia.net of the Memory of Generations Charity Foundation
• Alz.org | Russia
• Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer's Association)
• Symptoms of dementia (ADI)  
• Alzheimer’s disease risk factors (Alzheimer's Association)
• Risk factors and risk reduction (ADI)

Sources:

[1] – Fact sheet Dementia. Web site of the World Health Organization, 2023 - https://www.who.int/ru/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia

[2] - Global status report on the public health response to dementia. World Health Organization. 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/344707/9789240038684-rus.pdf