Big pharma sees big payback for Alzheimer's research

Wyeth has devoted more than 350 scientists to 23 separate research projects aimed at treating Alzheimer's. So far, that commitment has cost the giant drug developer more than $450 million. But while it's one of the most ambitious research projects in the world related to Alzheimer's, The New York Times concludes that a broad array of pharma and biotech companies are also looking for new therapies to treat a disease that is expected to claim millions of more victims as the populations of developed countries age. There's a payback at the end of that research. An effective treatment could command $20,000 a year per patient, making any possible approval a sure-fire blockbuster for years to come.

- read the report from The New York Times 

ALSO: Alzheimer's disease researchers may be able to reduce the time and expense associated with clinical trials, according to early results from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a public-private research partnership organized by the National Institutes of Health. Release

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