ORION PROGRAMS IN DEVELOPMENT
Orion’s mid and long-term strategy is to apply the same “alliance” business model to future neurodegenerative programs following the establishment of our alliance programs in Multiple Sclerosis and Prodromal Schizophrenia. Our goal is to establish computational & simulation disease models in the future for: Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; Traumatic Brain Injury; and Post-Traumatic Stress (Disorder). As our modeling progresses, we intend to identify our programs by mechanism rather than by the traditional “disease area” descriptions in current use.
Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia is an epidemic: over 24 million people globally have dementia today. There are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, which is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States; approximately 500,000 die every year due to the disease. The direct cost of Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is $214 billion per year, and the indirect costs are estimated to be over $220 million. The number of women with Alzheimer’s is nearly double that of men. For women over 60, the remaining lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s is 17.2% (compare with 9.3% for breast cancer).
Click here for more information on Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/dementia.htm
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/alzheimersdisease/alzheimersdisease.htm
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease affects an estimated 7-10 million people worldwide. Over 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, but the number of all affected is likely much higher than that because the effects of the disease are often written off as “normal” effects of old age. Parkinson’s Disease is estimated to cost over $25 billion in the U.S. alone in direct and indirect costs. Previous research indicates that their genetic markers for the disease in some cases and that environmental factors can play a role. Men are 50% more likely to contract Parkinson’s than women.
Click here for more information on Parkinson’s Disease:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/parkinsons_disease.htm
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury contributes to approximately 30% of all injury deaths in the United States (50,000 TBI-related deaths). Worldwide, it is estimated that over 10 million suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. New estimates are that over 2.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury annually, and that 5.3 million live with a long-term disability as a result of a TBI. The annual cost to society exceeds $76 Billion per year.
Click here for more information on Traumatic Brain Injury:
Post-Traumatic Stress (Disorder)
Post-Traumatic Stress (Disorder) affects 3.5% of the US adult population every year (approximately 10 million people); over one third are classified as severe. People with PTS have among the highest rates of healthcare service use. The annual cost (direct and indirect) of PTS in the U.S. alone is $42.3 billion. Over 95% of all cases of PTS cases are non-military. Women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from PTS, and victims of domestic violence are one of the largest groups of people with PTS.
Click here for more information on Post Traumatic Stress (Disorder):
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
