Image by Julie70 via Flickr.com

WHAT IS THE 5-YEAR LOOK-BACK?

In the past a senior citizen with assets would have been able to give financial gifts to his children and grandchildren and not worry about those gifts disqualifying him for Medicaid.  Over the years, the government took steps to prevent those requiring nursing home services from giving away their assets in order to qualify for services designated for the poor.  One of those steps was a “look-back” period–a kind of audit that allowed the government to determine if assets were moved in order to qualify for Medicare.

When Congress passed the The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA),  it extended the “look-back period” for Medicaid eligibility from three years to five years. The “look-back” period enables the state Medicaid authorities to inspect financial transfers and gifts going back at least five years, and levy penalties by delaying Medicaid eligibility if there are any transfers within that period.

ASSETS AND GIFTS

Government officials can look at any gifts made as long as five years before the date that an application for assistance is made.  If someone who is applying for assistance has made gifts within the look-back period, a penalty period is triggered during which that individual is ineligible for government aid. The permissible asset level  is a limit of $2,000 in most states.  Elders who gift or transfer assets can be caught in the situation of having no money but still not being eligible for Medicaid.

Congress has established a period of ineligibility for Medicaid for those who transfer assets. The DRA changed rules governing the treatment of asset transfers. For transfers made prior to enactment of the DRA on February 8, 2006, state Medicaid officials will look only at transfers made within the 36 months prior to the Medicaid application (or 60 months if the transfer was made to or from certain kinds of trusts). But for transfers made after passage of the DRA, the so-called “look back” period for all transfers is 60 months.

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the speakers at a conference last week said that the government assumes you are guilty until proven innocent.  They assume you are hiding assets when you make transfers during the Medicaid look-back period.

TRANSFERS

Any transfers without fair market value (gifts of any kind) made by the Medicaid applicant during the preceding five years are penalizable, dollar for dollar. All transfers made during the five-year look-back period are totaled, and the applicant is penalized that amount after having already dropped below the Medicaid asset limit.

This means that after dropping below the asset level ($2,000 limit in most states), the Medicaid applicant then has to re-pay all transfers during the preceding five years by private-paying for nursing home costs.  While the look back period determines what transfers will be penalized, the length of the penalty depends on the amount transferred.

The second and more significant major change in the treatment of transfers made by the DRA has to do with when the penalty period created by the transfer begins. Under the prior law, the penalty period created by a transfer would begin either on the first day of the month during which the transfer occurred, or on the first day of the following month, depending on the state. Under the DRA, the period will not begin until (1) the person making the transfer has moved to a nursing home, (2) he has spent down to the asset limit for Medicaid eligibility, (3) has applied for Medicaid coverage, and (4) has been approved for coverage but for the transfer.

Example:  If an individual transfers $100,000 on April 1, 2010, moves to a nursing home on April 1, 2011, and spends down to Medicaid eligibility on April 1, 2012, that is when the penalty period will begin, and it will not end until December 1, 2013.

PENALTY PERIOD: DO THE MATH

When a person makes a gift of any amount within the 5-year period preceding the date that person applies for Medicaid, those gifts are added together and will result in a disqualification period. The length of the disqualification (or “penalty”) period depends on the total amount of the gifts made within the five-year period and the penalty divisor of the state where they are applying for Medicaid.

• TOTAL AMOUNT GIVEN AWAY OR TRANSFERRED
• AVERAGE COST OF NURSING HOME CARE IN STATE

Example 1: The penalty period is calculated by dividing the average cost of nursing home care in the area where the individual lives into the amount given away. In a state where the penalty divisor is $5,000, if the total gifts made within the look-back period equal $50,000, then the penalty will be 10 months ($50,000/$5000 = 10).

Example 2: The penalty period is determined by dividing the amount transferred by the average monthly cost of nursing home care in the state. For instance, if the nursing home resident transferred $100,00 in a state where the average monthly cost of care was $5,000, the penalty period would be 20 months ($100,000/$5,000 = 20).

PLAN AHEAD FOR MEDICAID

Specific Medicaid regulations vary somewhat from state to state, so it is important to be aware of the rules that apply in the area where you live. Professional assistance by an elder law attorney who specializes in Medicaid planning is recommended for estate planning strategies related to the look-back period.  Because of the Medicaid look-back rules, if you’re going to do any type of estate planning or Medicaid planning, the earlier you can do it, the better.

Image by Julie70 via Flickr.com

DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005

Both the federal government and state governments have made changes to Medicaid eligibility requirements and restrictions over the years.  The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) significantly changed the rules governing the treatment of asset transfers and homes of nursing home residents by creating a five-year “look-back period.” Any transfers or gifts of any kind made by the Medicaid applicant during the preceding five years are subject to penalty.

DRA PENALTIES, PAYMENTS, AND GIFTS

All transfers made during the five-year look-back period are totaled, and the applicant is penalized that amount after having already dropped below the Medicaid asset limit. This means that after dropping below the asset level ($2,000 limit in most states), the Medicaid applicant then has to re-pay all transfers during the preceding five years by private-paying for nursing home costs. Since the person has less than $2,000, there is no source of funds to pay the penalty.  This is a problem.

When a person makes a gift of virtually any amount within the 5-year period preceding the date that person applies for Medicaid, those gifts are added together and will result in a disqualification period. The length of the disqualification (or “penalty”) period depends on the total amount of the gifts made within the 5-year period and the penalty divisor of the state where they are applying for Medicaid.

Elders who gift or transfer assets can be caught in the situation of having no money but still not being eligible for Medicaid.

Medicaid eligibility rules can differ from state to state, and they keep changing.

The following video does a good job of simply explaining the Medicaid Five-Year Look-Back period.

Kathy and Malcolm on You-Would-Have-Made-A Great-Mother Day picnic

This morning my darlin’ husband woke me up singing, “Happy You-Would-Have-Made-A-Great-Mother Day!” I was gifted with coffee in bed, peonies, and Godiva chocolates.   Since I achieved motherhood in a non-biological way, his celebration got me thinking.

THE UNMOTHERED

My mother did not have a clue about how to be a mother, which makes sense because her own mother did not have a clue either.  I knew from an early age that I did not want to be a mother.

Yet I have been mothered throughout my life.  My older sister, Becky, came out of the womb knowing there was a mothering vacuum in the family.  She has been the mother of us all, parents included, ever since.

Mothers' Day Cake crop (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mrs.  Lastor (4th grade), Mrs. Olson (7th grade), and Mrs. Shuford (12th grade) were my three very special English teachers/achievement mothers.  They saw what was special about me and helped me shine in ways that were truly my own.

My boyfriends would have been good mothers.  They mothered critters, children, and me; and they could all cook. These generous mother birds fed me the choicest morsels, and my deep hunger grew less.

I had to seek out a wise-woman mother to teach me the things my parents could not.  Without her guidance and tough love I would not have made it.

My husband, David, can’t help but mother me, but I have finally evolved enough to mother him back.  That makes us partners, rather than co-dependents.   Lovely.

BECOMING A MOTHER

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was shocked with the strange, deep-in-the-belly love I had for Melitta, the Maine Coon Cat.  I did not know about oxytocin then, the hormone that is triggered with breast-feeding (and with other acts of mothering).  We mothered each other.  Every time Melitta and I shared a glance of love I marveled at the wonderful feeling.  Later, I adopted my own cats and dogs and discovered that I too could be a mother.  Today, I am also step-mother to a ready-made, 29-year-old son.

When I became my parents’ caregiver, I began to understand the real sacrifice that goes into the act of mothering.   It took great physical tolls, but I evolved into a better person.   Caregiving taught me how to love selflessly at the human level.  Those that are actual mothers learn this from the first moment they hold their babies in their arms.  I was lucky to learn it in my 50′s.

I witness the exhaustion of mothers of both sexes with babies, teenagers, and grown children.  The bonds they share with their birth children are unique and at a level I will never know. They will always be mothers.

I believe I would have been a great mother, but not until I had reached my early 50′s.  So that is a road not taken.

Now that both parents are gone, my siblings and I struggle for equilibrium.  Throughout life, we formed a common front as protection from bad parenting.  With the passing of our parents, our relationships wobble.  We no longer have a common mission. Perhaps we need to give each other more than mothering at this stage.  At age 58, I struggle to understand my extended family and challenge myself to grow yet again.

EMPATHY FOR ALL MOTHERS

Peonies in the garden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been thinking about the ways that I responded to my parents mistakes.  I withheld myself as a form of self-protection and a way to punish.  There were five years when I did not speak to either parent.  That only ended when I showed up to become their caregiver.    I am profoundly grateful that we found our way to a peaceful and loving relationship before they died.

Ironically, it is only now, two years after Mom’s death, that I finally recognize the great hurt I caused my parents.  I had my justifications, but that does not diminish the hurt.  My mother also evolved into a good mother in her later years. Even in death, we still experience her loving care.

Maybe the human condition is that we never get to a final point of evolution.  I learned from my parents mistakes and their love–and they from mine.

YOU CAN BE A MOTHER AT ANY AGE

For all of us who missed motherhood, it is not too late.  The world may have been saved from the awful parents we would have been in our twenties.  We might make absolutely fantastic mothers at this stage.

My men, David and Malcolm, are taking me on a picnic today to celebrate, “You-Would-Have-Made-A-Great-Mother Day.”  If no one takes you out for a picnic, take yourself out.  Then, go feed the birds and think about how you get your inner mother on.  No life should be without it.

Salutations to mothers everywhere.  We would not be here without you.

A Family of Mothers

ALZHEIMER’S CAN’T WAIT!

TX Delegation and Congressman Ralph Hall

In April I joined a record number of Alzheimer’s advocates from all 50 states in Washington D.C. to advocate in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.  On the final day of the Forum we met with more than 440 congressional offices to deliver our message:

“Alzheimer’s Can’t Wait!”

The event received local and national media coverage. Thousands of people have taken action by calling Congress and signing our petition.

In less than a week, 14 additional Members of Congress agreed to co-sponsor the HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act.  I brag about my contribution.

I was part of the Texas delegation and personally visited the offices of two senators and eight congressmen and women.  The thrill of having one of them agree on the spot to support our initiatives is indescribable.  My feet still hurt, but it was worth it.

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Kathleen Sebelius

If we do not find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it will destroy America.  It will kill our economy, devastate family life, and destroy the American Quality of Life.  I am not exaggerating.

The average Medicare costs for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are three times higher than for those without these conditions.  Medicaid spending is 19 times higher.

Unless a real cure is found, the costs of Alzheimer’s in 2050 are estimated to total $1.1 trillion.  Costs to Medicare and Medicaid will increase nearly 500 percent.

COMPELLING STATISTICS

Here are the facts:

Frank Luntz

An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease; by 2050 up to 16 million will have the disease

• One in eight older Americans has Alzheimer’s
• Nearly half of those 85 and older have Alzheimer’s
• Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the only one without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression
• Over 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementias
• Payments for care are estimated to be $200 billion in 2012, including $140 billion to Medicare and Medicaid
• At least 800,000 Americans with Alzheimer’s disease live alone
• Every 68 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s
• A senior with diabetes and Alzheimer’s costs Medicare 81% more than a senior who has diabetes but no Alzheimer’s
• A senior who has cancer and Alzheimer’s costs Medicare 53% more than a senior with cancer but no Alzheimer’s

GRASS ROOTS ADVOCACY FOR ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH

Pat Summitt

The national publicity highlighted guest speakers such as Kathleen Sebelius, Frank Luntz, Meredith Vieira, Jane Seymour, Maria Shriver, and Pat Summitt.  I was more impressed by the number of unknowns who paid their own way, often accompanied by a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s.  An articulate 16-year-old attended every session with his 49-year-old father, who has the disease.

Alzheimer’s runs in families and everyone there knew it.  They were advocating for themselves, their families, and their communities.  Everyone had a personal story.

TRAGEDY OF THE CAREGIVERS

Alzheimer's Association: Roll Call

The most heartbreaking stories were those of the unpaid caregivers. In 2011, 15.2 million family members and friends provided 17.4 billion hours of unpaid Alzheimer’s and dementia care–valued at $210.5 billion.

Many caregivers leave their jobs because long-term-care is not covered by Medicare. The caregivers deplete their own funds to care for a loved one at home.

The stress levels of caregivers are extremely high.  Due to the physical and emotional toll on their own health, Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers had $8.7 billion in additional health care costs in 2011.   Caregivers often die before the person with Alzheimer’s.

WE MUST FIND A CURE

Last night I had dinner with a couple dealing with Alzheimer’s.  The husband was diagnosed about five years ago.  The wife continues to work but is struggling. They had planned on attending the Forum until the husband landed in the hospital with kidney failure.  She said, “We thought we had a plan and would be able to handle whatever came along.  This last blow makes us realize how unprepared we are for the future.”

The only way to solve the crisis caused by this terrible disease is to find a cure–and we are very late.

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

Citizens in Action – A Guide to Influencing Government

Image of Malcolm by ElderAuthority

SEDUCED BY THE BACK YARD

Today I came home from my morning yoga class ready to blog up a storm.  There are lots of topics to write about after a week of advocating for Alzheimer’s research in Washington, D.C.   I did not even make it to the back door.  The birds were chirping like they were going to burst.  The garden wafted jasmine and rose perfumes.  The wind was just a gentle, balmy breeze that beckoned me to stay out “just a little bit longer.” So I did.

I plunked myself down on the back porch, pulled my paperback thriller from my purse, and sipped my morning coffee.  I don’t know if the book was all that great, but the combination of book, birds, trees, and breeze was more than great.   When Malcolm barked at me from inside the house, I invited him to join me.  How much better can it get?

THE FEELING REMAINS

My OK book turned into a page-turner.  I simply could not find the will power to close it up, go inside and do some real work.  At about 3:30 p.m. I finished the book and finally made it into the house.

I still cannot write about “important” topics today.  The bliss of the afternoon remains under my skin.  So I write about the lovely afternoon when I blew off my job and succumbed to the joy of wallowing in a lovely day.

THE ‘SHOULDS’ IN MY HEAD

I know I need to write a gazillion articles so that 78 million baby boomers will be equipped for proactive aging.  I feel guilty for not doing my work.  Then, I remind myself that I did just the right thing, and I know it is true.  But the TO DO list of my life always summons me back.

Yes, I know no one ever said, “I wished I had worked harder,” on her deathbed.   Yes, there should be a balance between work and play.   I don’t think I will ever be one of those mellow people who can always find time to just sit and soak up life.   So maybe it is a triumph that I overcame my nagging inner voice and enjoyed a perfect afternoon–even if just for today.

SEIZE THE DAY… AS BEST YOU CAN

If I could do this more often, I might reach my goal of becoming one of those wise-cracking, merry centenarians.  I don’t think I have the right stuff for it.  Just too many things on that TO DO list.  But, maybe on my deathbed, I will remember the perfect afternoon and be glad I didn’t “work harder.”

Image by Terwilliger911 via Flickr

This video of three grandmas watching a sex tape of the ever-exhibitionist Kim Kardashian & Ray-J is totally vulgar. Warning: It contains explicit language.

If you need a laugh, it is good for you.  If you need to be reminded that turning grey does not mean you are dead, then it is good for you.

If you are under age 18, don’t watch it.

(Sadly, I don’t think I have many readers under the age of 18. )

Image by Perfecto Insecto

SPANDEX NOT REQUIRED

Here’s some great news regarding exercising our brains that may even appeal to those of us who view any physical exercise beyond thumbing our TV remote as excessive.

Aerobics have long been recognized as a workout proven to trim thighs and waistlines while also improving stamina and cardio-vascular health.  Now an author is suggesting we can also provide a beneficial exercise for our brains that does not include having to wear stretchy, pastel-colored gym apparel.  It’s called “Neurobics”.

BREAK THE ROUTINE

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Co-author of the new book, “Keeping your Brain Alive”, (Workman Publishing, $8.95), Manning Rubin, tells us that, “…breaking with routine is like having your brain cells lifting barbells”.  Exercising our brain neurons, (Neurobics), can help us keep our brains healthy and strong as we advance in years, just as step aerobics help trim our flabby backsides.

Here are some of his suggestions:

• Try something new every day: Break away from your comfortable patterns of daily activities and stretch your comfort zone.  Work to learn new skills however small they may be.  Engage in a new hobby.  Cook interesting new dishes from recipes previously untried rather than ordering familiar take-out.  Learn and try to use a new language.  Start playing bridge or other new card games that cause you to think.  Purposely vary your familiar routines.
• Mix things up: Rearrange your kitchen and pantry cabinets so that while they are still conveniently arranged, they cause you to think as you are going about your kitchen routines.  Sit at a different place at the dinner table.  Trade chores with other family members.  Trade sides of the bed with your sleeping partner.  Just shuffle the deck of your familiar daily chores and habits.
• Close your eyes: Take time to use your other senses.  Sit outside and listen to the birds in your yard or neighborhood children playing with your eyes closed.  Learn to identify objects by touch or scent rather than sight.  Take time to smell your food and try to distinguish different spices and ingredients.
• Make life your gym: Give continual consideration to what you could alter about your everyday routines to make them feel different.  Drive a different route to familiar locations.  Eat different (healthy) foods.  Wear your watch on your other arm. Watch foreign movies to dust off your high school Spanish or French while cheating with the movie sub-titles.  Just “mix it up”.  Vary your daily routines and habits.
• Use your non-dominant hand: Try dressing and grooming while predominately using your “other hand”.  If you’re right handed, use your left hand to feed yourself.  Listen to phone calls using your other ear rather than the one you most often use.  Unfortunately, some of this may pay off should you ever experience partial paralysis following a stroke or injury.

FIND NEW PATHWAYS

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All of these exercises force your brain to think in different ways, which is very good for improved brain health.  This helps to build new neuron pathways within our brains while we also stretch our mental comfort zones.  Plus, you can even do all this while wearing stretchy, pastel-colored gym clothes if it makes you feel better.

Image by CarbonNYC via Flickr

SIMPLE AS 1, 2, 3

1.  Recognize the symptoms.
2. Call 911.
3. Chew an aspirin while awaiting the arrival of emergency personnel.

Myocardial infarction (Photo credit: St. Murse)

It’s just that simple.  Or at least it should be.

Amazingly, more than 133,000 Americans will die from approximately 935,000 heart attacks this year, and another 300,000 will die from cardiac arrest.  So why are so many still dying from what most of us know is a largely preventable event?

 MOST HEART ATTACKS ARE PREVENTABLE

Preventable?  Yep. Most heart attacks are preventable.  Odder still is that most of us are aware of that fact, yet we continue to engage in lifestyle choices that fast track us to the ER. We land under the care of a team of cardiologists and have our lives forever changed.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many of us are choosing to be future heart patients by:

•  Smoking
• Living a sedentary lifestyle, not exercising or working out enough
• Following a high fat diet
• Drinking to excess
• Packing on pounds to the point of obesity
• Ignoring dangers of chronic and high stress

LEARN WARNING SIGNS OF HEART ATTACK

Hollywood has taught us the symptoms of a heart attack; or have they?  Actually, not all heart attack victims collapse to the floor clutching their chest.

71% of women who experience heart attacks suffer what could be best described as “flu like symptoms”, and no chest pain at all.  Others, including many men, might only experience discomfort in their left arm or tightness in their jaw.  Spend some time becoming educated on ALL the warning signs of heart attack.

When you think something might be happening, get help – fast.  Don’t mull it over or lie down until it passes.  You might pass before the heart attack passes. Get thee to the emergency room!

Take an ambulance.  EMTs are trained to know what to do if you get worse after calling them.  Only about 50% of those who think they might be having a heart event call 911 and arrive at the ER via ambulance.  The other 50% aren’t very smart, nor do they have near the survival rate of those who arrive with siren blaring.

PAIN LINKED TO PERMANENT HEART DAMAGE

The pain or discomfort attack sufferers experience is lack of blood flow to heart muscle.  Once that happens, the heart muscle is damaged. This usually leads to congestive heart failure in the not too distant future.  Don’t ignore the symptoms.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After contacting 911, chew (it gets into your blood stream faster than swallowing) an adult-strength, uncoated aspirin.  Tylenol or Advil won’t have the same desired effect of thinning your blood so that clogged arteries may still experience some blood flow.

ENROLL IN CARDIAC REHAB PROGRAM

Should you experience a heart attack and survive to be discharged to return home, enroll in cardiac rehab programs and get serious about changing your diet and lifestyle.  Medicare will cover the cost of many rehab programs, but only 14% of heart attack survivors ever sign up.

Getting with these programs will help keep you ticking longer, and enjoying a more productive, happy lifestyle.

Image by BJ/TR via flickr

Dear Readers: This News Release is a BIG DEAL. The Amyloid Beta 42 (Aβ42) Vaccine is a potential prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease.  As vaccines typically do, this one tricks the body’s immune system into creating a defense against Alzheimer’s.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

April 09, 2012 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Nuron Biotech Expands Portfolio With Exclusive, Worldwide License for an Amyloid Beta 42 DNA Vaccine Candidate for Alzheimer’s Disease

EXTON, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nuron Biotech, Inc. today announced it has licensed from VITRUVIAN BioMedical, Inc. a gene-based (DNA) amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) vaccine in preclinical development for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [1]. Nuron has an exclusive, worldwide license for the vaccine and is responsible for development and commercialization. Unlike a traditional vaccine for AD, the DNA vaccine does not contain amyloid beta itself but instead contains a piece of the gene coding for the amyloid beta protein. Once in the body, the vaccine stimulates an immune response in which antibodies that bind to and significantly reduce amyloid beta are produced. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Alzheimer’s is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which there is only a limited set of therapy options, so this novel approach to treatment is truly exciting.”
“This unique, promising vaccine candidate brings more opportunity to our pipeline and is one of the most promising new advances to improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients worldwide,” said Shankar Musunuri, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Nuron Biotech. “Alzheimer’s is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which there is only a limited set of therapy options, so this novel approach to treatment is truly exciting.”

“We are very pleased to be working with Nuron in developing this important vaccine,” commented Arthur Bollon, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of VITRUVIAN BioMedical. “Research has shown that this adjuvant-free DNA vaccine is far superior to a peptide-based vaccine as it significantly reduces the levels of Aβ42, by about 50 percent in preclinical models [2], and importantly, it does not generate an inflammatory immune response in the brain [3].” The vaccine candidate was created at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

In the United States alone, Alzheimer’s disease currently affects 5.4 million people and their families. It is the most common form of dementia and the fifth leading cause of death for individuals 65 years and older. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that the disease results in $200 billion dollars of healthcare costs in the United States each year [4].

About VITRUVIAN BioMedical

VITRUVIAN BioMedical, Inc. is a biotechnology company engaged in the development and commercialization of diagnostics and therapeutics for individualized and balanced healthcare. VbM’s mission is to provide “advanced personalized medicine” to medical professionals and patients nationwide and globally. Our niche is in the development and commercialization of breakthrough diagnostic tests and therapeutics for significant medical illnesses. The Company currently is focused on the following areas: central nervous system, oncology and metabolic diseases.

About Nuron Biotech

Nuron Biotech is developing novel biologics and vaccines for the prevention and treatment of chronic neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Our team of industry veterans is advancing products to meet unmet medical needs in the areas of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, hepatitis B and hepatitis C for patients across the globe. Our lead drug candidate, NU100 (interferon beta-1b), is a new chemical entity currently in Phase 3 for patients with multiple sclerosis. www.nuronbiotech.com.

References

[1] U.S. Patent 7,479,550 B2
[2] J. Neurol. Sci. 260 (2007): 204-213.
[3] Vaccine 28 (2010): 5280-5287.
[4] “2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” Alzheimer’s Association. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp

Contacts

For Nuron Biotech:
Richard Dinovitz, 610-968-6704
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
or
Media:
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
Charles Liles, 781-235-3060
cliles@macbiocom.com
or
For VITRUVIAN BioMedical:
Arthur Bollon, Ph.D., 469-585-7613
Chairman, President & CEO
arthurb@flash.net

Plaques and tangles

Great news for those wondering if they possess a brain condition known to frequently cause Alzheimer’s: You no longer have to undergo an autopsy to learn the results.

ELI LILY TEST APPROVED BY FDA

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The presence of brain amyloid plaques are known to be consistent with Alzheimer’s disease and up until now their development could only be determined during the autopsy of someone suspected of having Alzheimer’s.  Now they can be detected in a test developed by Eli Lilly & Company that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration April 6, 2012.

 CONFIRMS PRESENCE OF AMYLOIDS

Early detection and an accurate diagnosis at the first signs of memory loss allow treating physicians to more accurately treat the symptoms patients are experiencing.  Brain amyloids are just one symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, but they are typically not present in other forms of dementias.  Being able to confirm their presence, however, is expected to facilitate the development of new drugs and treatments to fight the disease.

Alzheimer’s is the 6^th leading cause of death in America and is the only cause of death in the top 10 that does not presently have a known prevention, treatment to slow its progression or a cure.  This new test is a major breakthrough in the Alzheimer’s epidemic.

AMYLOIDS HIGHLIGHTED DURING BRAIN IMAGING

Beta amyloid

Eli Lilly & Company’s development is the creation of a drug they will brand as “Amyvid” and has the chemical name of florbetapir.  It contains a radioactive feature that highlights amyloids during brain imaging exams conducted using positron emission tomography, (PET Scans).

The test is not cheap, but is still more user-friendly than an autopsy.  Doses of Amyvid are expected to be in the range of $1,500, and a PET scan runs between $1,000 and $3,000.  The drug company is quick to point out that the test alone with not necessarily confirm Alzheimer’s, but it is an effective new tool for neurologists to use in assessing the cause of a patient’s cognitive impairment.  It could also be effectively used to rule out Alzheimer’s as the source of memory problems.

INDICATES TYPE OF DEMENTIA TO TREAT

Brain MRI Scan

The drug company points out that not everyone who has brain amyloids will contract Alzheimer’s, just as not everyone who has high cholesterol will suffer a heart attack.  While Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, there are many other forms of cognitive impairments.

This test will provide neurologists a good indication as to which form of dementia to treat as well as another scientific tool to track its progression.

Researchers are still struggling to accurately define the cause and progression of Alzheimer’s, but it is well-recognized that amyloid plaques and another abnormal brain lesion known as tau tangles are highly suspected contributors.  This new drug and the test procedure used to detect it when it marks the presence of amyloids is a significant breakthrough in Alzheimer’s related research.