NOVA: CAN ALZHEIMER's BE STOPPED?
[BOSTON] – Alzheimer’s disease robs victims of their memories, their independence, and eventually their lives. It is the most common type of dementia, affecting five million people in the US alone, a number expected to double over the next 20 years as the population ages. With so much at stake, researchers, doctors, and patients worldwide are in a race to develop new drugs that could stop one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time.
In a new one-hour documentary, NOVA—a production of WGBH Boston—has partnered with Tangled Bank Studios and Holt Productions to transport viewers to the front lines of this fast paced, life-and-death detective story. CAN ALZHEIMER’S BE STOPPED? premieres Wednesday, April 13 at 9PM/8c on PBS (check local listings).
Despite the urgent need for treatment, dozens of drug trials to tackle the disease have failed. Less than one percent of drugs tested for Alzheimer’s have been approved, and none of them can stop the disease. CAN ALZHEIMER’S BE STOPPED? takes viewers behind the scenes to reveal how drug trials are designed, what makes them so challenging, and why researchers are encouraged in their quest for an effective treatment.