Why I got emotional over the Alzheimer drug breakthrough – it brings true hope

Terms like ‘breakthrough’ and ‘turning point’ should always be used with caution, writes David Cameron. But in the case of the dementia ‘wonder drug’ donanemab, they are justified for the chance they give sufferers the chance to live well – and with dignity

The development of the new drug could have significant implications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s (PA Archive)

It is not often that I get emotional watching the evening news. This week was different. Monday’s lead item featured a man living with Alzheimer’s, who is currently taking part in a global trial to find a treatment for the disease. “I’m one of the luckiest people you’ll ever meet,” he told the reporter, as it was announced that the drug he’s been on for two years, donanemab, can slow the pace of cognitive decline by a third.

Seeing the man and his son being interviewed was particularly poignant because that is what first sparked my interest in the issue: meeting people living with dementia and members of their families.

As an MP, I saw care homes in my constituency growing ever larger to cater for the growing number of people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s. I would visit regularly, often speaking to the heartbroken sons and daughters who were watching their mothers and fathers slipping into a world of darkness.