Latest news with #DPRIT
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Craddick sends Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) legislation to Abbott's desk
May 13—AUSTIN — State Rep. Tom Craddick May 12 applauded the final passage of legislation to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), a monumental step in addressing one of the state's most urgent healthcare challenges. With the Texas Senate's concurrence with House amendments to Senate Bill 5 and Senate Joint Resolution 3, the legislation now heads to Governor Abbott for signature. "I am proud to author House Bill 5 to establish DPRIT and send it to Governor Abbott's desk to be signed," Craddick said in a news release. "Thanks to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's leadership and vision, this transformative institute will place Texas at the forefront of dementia and Parkinson's research and care."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dementia prevention institute legislation heads to governor's desk
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), will now head to the governor's desk after the Texas Senate approved minor changes to the legislation on Monday. Texas voters will have to approve the creation of DPRIT on the Texas ballot in November. If approved by Texans, the institute would receive $3 billion from the general revenue fund over the next 10 years to help accelerate research into Dementia and finding cures. 'Texas will become the premier destination for Dementia prevention and research and Texans will have access to the best Dementia care in the world, right here at home. I am proud of the legislature's investment into this endeavor, and I know Texas families will benefit for generations to come,' Patrick said in a statement. DPRIT is modeled after the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas approved by voters in 2007 with $3 billion in funding. Voters approved another $3 billion in funding for CPRIT in 2019. The National Institutes of Health reported in 2024 that Alzheimer's and related dementia research has advanced in recent years but stressed more needs to be funded to keep finding new answers to a cure and prevention. 'This progress helps move us closer to developing effective prevention and treatment options that benefit all Americans,' the NIH report reads. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Craddick passes House Bill 5, House Joint Resolution 3 to establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
Apr. 28—AUSTIN — Representative Tom Craddick has passed through the Texas House of Representatives House Bill 5 and House Joint Resolution 3 to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas ("DPRIT"), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at advancing research, prevention, and treatment strategies for Alzheimer's. "Texas is ranked third in the nation for Alzheimer's diagnosis and second in the nation for Alzheimer's deaths," Craddick said in a news release. "These bills allow Texans to decide to invest in research and prevention for the diseases which impact so many families. I look forward to breakthrough research conducted right here in Texas, which will benefit all Texans." The Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas will fund and accelerate research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and related disorders while supporting medical and scientific breakthroughs that enhance Texas' leadership in medical research. The institute will award grants to institutions of higher education, medical research facilities, and other public or private entities dedicated to combating Alzheimer's. Additionally, it will develop prevention programs aimed at reducing the impact of dementia on Texas communities. "House Joint Resolution 3 allows for every Texan to vote on investing $3 billion into finding a cure for these diseases. I look forward to voting for this Resolution in November 2025," added Craddick. HB 5 and HJR 3 represent a major step in addressing one of the most pressing healthcare challenges of our time. House Bill 5 will be sent to the Governor's desk for signing. The Texas Legislative Session began on January 14, 2025, and will run through June 2, 2025.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Creating DPRIT in Texas would revolutionize dementia care. UT is ready to help
Imagine a Texas where Alzheimer's disease can be treated like diabetes. It might look like a series of preventative shots a person gets in their 40s, or a pill they take in their 60s to mitigate and control symptoms, just like one might with a host of conditions. This is the future as envisioned by University of Texas researchers like Dr. Marc Diamond at UT Southwestern, whose work is dedicated to ending what he calls the 'neurological nightmare' of dementia. Thanks to a new effort at the Texas Capitol, we may be closer to ending this nightmare than ever before. Senate Bill 5 — sponsored by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and designated a legislative priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — would give Texans the chance to vote on the creation of a $3 billion-backed Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT). The companion HB 5, authored by state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, has 119 co-sponsors. DPRIT could revolutionize Alzheimer's care and research in Texas. Already immersed in leading research and clinical efforts in dementia prevention, UT stands ready to do its part. Nearly 7 million Americans over 65 are living with Alzheimer's. Here in the Lone Star State, nearly half a million Texans live with Alzheimer's, and a million more provide them with unpaid care, often at great personal cost. Nationally we spend $360 billion per year on dementia care. The promise of DPRIT is that the discoveries, innovations and technologies it will catalyze can revolutionize the lives of those who live with Alzheimer's and those who care for them. But how do we know DPRIT can deliver? Thankfully, the concept has been tried and tested in Texas over the last decade. In 2007, Texans voted to establish the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Since then, the state has invested more than $3.7 billion in cancer prevention and research. The impact has been incredible. More than 300 researchers and their labs have relocated to Texas, more than 80 facilities are supported financially, and more than $8 billion in outside funds have followed. At the University of Texas, CPRIT funds have recruited scholars from all over the world to our campuses across the state. From imaging to immuno-oncology, new therapies are being conceived, trialed and rolled out. Whole new research and care hubs have been launched. MD Anderson — ranked No. 1 in the nation for cancer care — has seen 20 separate projects supported by CPRIT this year alone. Because dementia prevention and care are already priorities at the UT System, DPRIT promises to deliver the same level of investment, impact and collaboration that we've seen with CPRIT. In fact, CPRIT has been so successful, voters chose in 2019 to invest another $3 billion in the initiative. Take for example, the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, where researchers are pioneering retinal scans to detect Alzheimer's early — in the future, a trip to the eye doctor could detect dementia symptoms early. There are many other examples across UT institutions — at the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences at UT Austin's Dell Medical School — where we could turbo-charge such efforts with DPRIT's support. On the first Tuesday of each month, a support group for caregivers of family members with Alzheimer's meets at the Dementia, Geriatric & Brain Health Clinic at the UT Education and Research Center at Laredo. When I think of the fight against dementia, I think of those caregivers. Like CPRIT, DPRIT-funded research and care has the potential to preserve life to the fullest for millions of Texans. I'm grateful to live in a state where lawmakers are dedicated to fighting cruel diseases. Together, we're working to prevent, treat and cure cancer. Now, let's do the same to defeat dementia. James B. Milliken is chancellor of the University of Texas System. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DPRIT would revolutionize dementia care. UT is ready to help | Opinion
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Future of dementia research up for a vote in Texas Senate
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Senators will convene in the high chamber on Wednesday morning to debate and vote on the creation of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), an initiative that will infuse $3 billion of state money over the next 10 years to find a cure for one of the most cruel diseases impacting Texans. The initiative has bipartisan support in the Senate and is a top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, is carrying the bill and points out the elderly population in the United States is expected to double to 70 million by 2030. 'Senate Bill 5 is a game-changer — it's about innovation, collaboration, and a fierce commitment to the health of our state,' Huffman said in a news release. 'I'm proud to champion this effort to give Texas the tools to lead the charge against this devastating disease.' If approved by the Senate and House, Texas voters would have to approve the creation of DPRIT at the polls. DPRIT is modeled after the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which lawmakers passed and voters later approved in 2007. Huffman even said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing she copied the revised bill that was used to create CPRIT. Secretary of State Jane Nelson was a lawmaker in 2007 and carried the bill that created CPRIT. She spoke in a public hearing last week about her work 18 years ago. 'It was one of, if not the most important piece of legislation I ever created,' Nelson told the Senate Finance Committee. 'Even though we had universal agreement that we needed to step up the fight against cancer it was one of the toughest bills that I carried.' The bill faced questions about the funding mechanism and whether research was a core function of the state government. Voters and lawmakers eventually approved the initiative and have dedicated $6 billion of state money to CPRIT since then. Nelson said it was a great investment and made Texas one of the leaders in cancer research in the world. She believes the state should repeat history when it comes to dementia. She shared her personal story about the cognitive disease. Her mother was diagnosed with dementia. 'It's the cruelest disease, and then we lost her,' Nelson said. She said it is especially hard for families to watch their loved ones slowly lose themselves. The National Institutes of Health reported in 2024 that Alzheimer's and related dementia research has advanced in recent years but stressed more needs to be funded to keep finding new answers to a cure and prevention. 'This progress helps move us closer to developing effective prevention and treatment options that benefit all Americans,' the NIH report reads. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
