From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Universities of Wisconsin System president Jay Rothman said federal funding cuts to research have “real implications for families and communities counting on us for solutions.”
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the UW-Madison Health Sciences Learning Center, Rothman emphasized the “critical” importance of UW’s Alzheimer’s research in seeking cures and treatments.
This comes as the National Institutes of Health under President Donald Trump’s administration had declared sweeping funding cuts to university health research last month, specifically cutting to a 15% across the board rate for “indirect costs,” such as facilities and administration. According to a February Department of Justice release, this would result in a loss of $65 million in funding for the current year for UW-Madison.
A federal judge had temporarily blocked the cuts last month, and yesterday issued an injunction that would further delay the cuts from taking effect. Despite the judge’s order, Rothman said he is concerned about the budget Congress is discussing and more permanent potential cuts in the future.
The Universities of Wisconsin, along with BioForward Wisconsin, Marshfield Clinic Health System, the Morgridge Center for Research and more than 30 other health and research institutions sent a letter to the members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation.
The letter expressed the need for NIH funding for research in Wisconsin, and asked lawmakers to prioritize continued funding.
“We urge you to maintain robust NIH funding and oppose any significant cuts that will jeopardize these critical benefits,” the letter read. “NIH funding is essential to research that leads to new treatments and therapies for Wisconsin residents.”
In response to the letter, U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, said he plans to work with the universities.
“I was glad to meet with UW Madison Vice Chancellor Craig Thompson yesterday and other members of UW leadership in recent weeks to discuss this proposal and other important issues facing the University of Wisconsin and their partner organizations,” Wied said in a statement to WisPolitics. “I will continue to monitor this situation and work with our state’s universities to ensure they have the appropriate resources they need to be successful.”
Rothman said UW is taking several steps to deal with funding cuts, including a hiring freeze and limiting travel. He added UW is also looking at other contingency plans.
And Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said there’s a lot of “uncertainty” about funding and UW-Madison is being “cautious” about spending money. She also pushed back on criticism that indirect costs aren’t necessary: “indirect costs are real costs.” Mnookin said, for example, medical equipment is necessary for Alzheimer’s research.
Also at the press conference yesterday, Sterling Johnson, a UW professor and leader for the Wisconsin Registry of Alzheimer’s Prevention Study, said UW-Madison research has been key to worldwide understanding of Alzheimer’s prevention methods and treatments. Johnson also said UW has worked with NIH-funded institutions around the nation to address Alzheimer’s disease.
He highlighted one of their discoveries working with other research centers: that people with Down syndrome who live long enough almost always develop Alzheimer’s later in life. Johnson also introduced a longtime WRAP study participant and Madison resident: Sigrid Knuti, who emphasized the importance of the university’s research.
“I want this generation to end Alzheimer’s,” Knuti said. “And for that, I’m counting on Sterling and University of Wisconsin to get it done. I’m very proud of my university. I’m very proud of what’s happening.”
— The number of flu-related hospitalizations in Wisconsin has dropped after peaking in early February, according to a newly launched Department of Health Services dashboard.
The agency today announced a new site tracking respiratory disease hospitalizations, which includes figures on influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.
As of March 1, the latest date for which figures are available, the age-adjusted rate of flu hospitalizations for the prior week had dipped to nine cases per 100,000 residents. That’s down from 14.5 cases on Feb. 8, the site shows.
Over the same period, RSV hospitalizations have remained fairly stable, going from 3.1 cases to 2.9 cases per 100,000 population at latest count. And COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen slightly, from 2.8 cases to 1.8 cases.
The dashboard also breaks down some hospital figures by age group, showing flu-related hospitalizations have been more common those age 65 and older at 29.9 cases per 100,000 population. For all other age ranges, that figure ranges from 2.1 to 6.4.
— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Prof. Jim Cook, co-founder of the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery at UW-Milwaukee.
The podcast is focused on a drug that Cook helped discover, which is now being developed by a Canadian business called Damona Pharmaceuticals. The company is exploring its applications for treating depression and Alzheimer’s disease, though Cook notes it could have potential for patients with schizophrenia as well.
“In that model, every aspect of schizophrenia was inhibited — not just half of them, every one,” Cook said. “That was really exciting, so we started looking for colleagues to look at schizophrenia.”
After connecting with Etienne Sibille, the deputy director and senior scientist in the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Toronto, Cook’s team developed the compound further. Sibille is also chief scientific officer and co-founder of Damona Pharmaceuticals, and was most interested in its applications for treating depression.
“Because depression and schizophrenia are really closely linked,” Cook said. “They are linked genetically, and not only that, sometimes a doctor can’t tell you whether you have schizophrenia or you have bipolar depression.”
Researchers found the compound reduced anxiety and depression in a mouse model, targeting specific neurons that Sibille had been studying, Cook explained. After gathering data on safety, Sibille got approval from the FDA to begin initial trials.
“Depression, right now, biologically and in terms of models, looks like the best target,” Cook said, adding “if you can get a drug in the clinic for depression, then you can take some of the profits and reinvest it and study schizophrenia. And that’s really what we’d like to do.”
Cook discusses the path ahead for the drug’s development, adding he’s excited to see his work advance to potential real-world application.
“As a medicinal chemist, any time that you get one that’s okayed for phase one, you’re really happy,” he said.
Listen to the podcast and see the full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts.
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