Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia affect millions of older adults. There is no cure, but several very large, well-designed studies suggest that the shingles vaccine may help prevent or delay these brain conditions. The studies all found that older adults who received a shingles vaccine were less likely to develop dementia or developed it later than those who were not vaccinated. Earlier research focused mostly on Zostavax, the older shingles vaccine, while newer studies have looked at Shingrix, the only shingles vaccine currently available in the U.S. Shingrix is recommended to prevent shingles for adults age 50 and older, but we think it may be as effective as and safer than expensive treatments like Leqembi or Kisunla for helping prevent or delay dementia.
Read More »Alzheimers, Dementia & Other Disabilities
NCHR Written Public Comment to Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services
NCHR Written Comment to HHS Alzheimer’s Advisory Council, Feb 11, 2026: NCHR urges HHS Alzheimer’s Advisory Council to urge HHS to improve analysis and public access to registry data on Leqembi and Kisunla. study the risks of Rexulti for dementia patients, and better restrict the unsafe and inappropriate use of atypical antipsychotics for dementia patients.
Read More »The Deadly Secrets Behind “Breakthrough” Alzheimer’s Drugs
The Lever, January 28, 2025: We are working with a consortium of experts to expose problems with FDA approvals. Our first article published in The Lever focuses on the clear risks and questionable benefits of drugs for early cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s and how conflicts of interest resulted in approval.
Read More »NCHR’s Public Comment on Early Alzheimer’s Disease: Developing Drugs for Treatment; Draft Guidance for Industry
June 10, 2024: NCHR disagrees with assumptions made in FDA guidance aimed at developing drugs for treatment of early stages of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Read More »The real costs of the new Alzheimer’s drug, Leqembi — and why taxpayers will foot much of the bill
KFF Health News/CBS News, Aug 1, 2023: CBS News says that the drug Leqembi for mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s is likely to cost taxpayers billions of dollars. We are among the policy experts who tell Medicare that all registry data need to be public to see if it is safe or effective. Will that happen?
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