# Lord Cameron Leads Calls to Approve Alzheimer’s Drugs for NHS Former Prime Minister urges faster access to dementia treatments and improved diagnostic waiting times. - **Source:** [The Independent – UK](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [health](https://brifing.si/c/health) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ff35efb4-6a1f-4db4-abe8-a887ce387fb9 ## Call for NHS Access Former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron is spearheading a campaign to secure NHS approval for Alzheimer’s drugs. Currently, advanced treatments like lecanemab and donanemab remain restricted to clinical trials despite being licensed in 2024. Cameron argues that these effective medications must be unlocked to benefit patients suffering from the disease. ## Diagnostic Waiting Times Beyond drug availability, Lord Cameron is advocating for a maximum 18-week wait for an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This initiative aims to address systemic delays that prevent patients from receiving timely care. By setting a clear target, proponents hope to ensure that individuals receive necessary medical interventions before the disease progresses significantly further. ## Personal and Political Stakes Lord Cameron, currently serving as president of Alzheimer’s Research UK, lost his mother to the disease in 2025. Drawing on his past experience as Prime Minister, he highlighted his role in launching the National Dementia Challenge. He emphasizes that the current progress in drug development requires a corresponding shift in policy. ## The Ad-Smart Trial Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently endorsed the Ad-Smart trial to accelerate treatment discovery. This systematic multi-arm adaptive randomised trial aims to more than halve the time required for testing new Alzheimer’s drugs. Burnham, who lost his father to the condition in September, views this as a vital step for faster results. ## Regulatory Approval Process Decisions regarding the routine use of treatments within the NHS are managed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, known as Nice. This body evaluates clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness before granting approval. Currently, the Department of Health and Social Care has not provided specific comments regarding the proposed changes. ## Scope of the Disease Alzheimer’s remains the most common form of dementia, currently affecting approximately 600,000 people across the United Kingdom. As the population ages, the demand for effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions continues to rise. Experts emphasize that the current gap between scientific innovation and clinical availability remains a critical public health challenge. ## Balancing Cost and Efficacy While newer drugs like lecanemab offer promise, experts note that cheaper alternatives exist, though they carry known side-effect risks. The challenge lies in balancing the high cost of innovative therapies with the urgent need for widespread patient access. Specialists are working to identify which treatments offer the best outcomes for patients. ## Future Policy Implications The push for reform reflects a broader effort to modernize dementia care within the UK healthcare system. By combining faster clinical trials with stricter diagnostic targets, policymakers hope to transform the standard of care. Success will depend on whether regulatory bodies can align with the political momentum currently driving these urgent demands. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-cameron-alzheimers-drugs-nhs-b3081407.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._