There are more than 400,000 individuals with Down syndrome in the US with significant unmet medical and cognitive needs. These needs limit their ability to be educated, have meaningful employment, and live independently. But, revolutionary progress is being made in correcting brain chemical imbalances resulting from Down Syndrome, progress that will also likely lead to the mitigation of Alzheimer's disease!

Unfortunately, this research and development is being supported by public and private sources at a very small fraction of other disorders such as Autism, Cytsic Fibrosis, and Parkinson's. This needs to change! We strongly urge and look forward to increased National Institutes of Health support to bring Down syndrome cognitive research and development funding proportionally in line with other NIH supported disorders. We believe that approximately $60 million dollars annually is a fair amount to support progress in line with other currently funded NIH research.

 We believe this research must focus on fundamental and translational Down syndrome cognitive research with the ultimate goal of bringing safe and effective medications into the FDA approval process to improve learning, memory, and communication. With increased NIH and pharmaceutical support on par with other disorders, we believe this 'moonshot for the mind' (to paraphrase Rep Kennedy) can be accomplished for people with Down syndrome, and, in the process, also improve the prospects for other neurological disorders.

We strongly call for increased NIH funding, charitable funding, and pharamceutical company investment for fundamental and translational Down syndrome cognitive R&D initiatives that may lead to medications for improving cognitive function and/ or inhibiting neurodegenerative processes. The science is ripe to progress through the FDA approval process if properly supported on par with other issues.

It is time for people with Down syndrome to have access to safe and effective medications resulting from evidence-based biomedical research that can improve their outcomes for education, employment, and independent living, and thereby reduce the need for lifelong social services.

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