WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two California members of Congress, Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA-06) and Young Kim (R-CA-40), introduced a bill Wednesday with Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick aimed at bolstering the US's global role in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. 

The Global Alzheimer’s Initiative Now (GAIN) Act would formally authorize US participation in the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), a public–private–patient partnership driving international cooperation on Alzheimer’s and dementia research, early detection, and care strategies.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a global challenge that demands a united global response,” Bera said. She and her bipartisan colleagues are re-introducing legislation that was first offered up during the 118th Congress (2023-2024 term).

The GAIN Act empowers the United States to lead in building global partnerships that accelerate research, improve care and support families both here at home and around the world. With formal authorization, we can help drive innovation and advancements in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Notably, global dementia cases are projected to exceed 150 million by 2050. Bera, Kim, and Fitzpatrick want to see a stronger federal response to one of the greatest global health challenges of the current century.

“We can’t afford to stand still in the fight against Alzheimer’s,” Fitzpatrick said. “Our GAIN Act is a critical initiative to move us forward—strengthening America’s leadership, accelerating global research, and supporting smarter, earlier interventions.” 

Fitzpatrick was an honorable mention in IVN’s 2025 list of 10 members of Congress who don’t follow party marching orders, with one of the most bipartisan voting records in the US House on a variety of issues.

What the GAIN Act Would Do

The GAIN Act gives the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formal authority to engage with the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative. The DAC was launched in 2021 out of the World Economic Forum’s health initiative to align governments, researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates in combating neurodegenerative diseases worldwide.

The Collaborative focuses on three main goals:

• Equity in early detection: Creating low-cost, scalable screening tools accessible across diverse populations and low-resource settings.
• Data sharing for faster discovery: Building a global platform for open-access research data to accelerate new treatments and diagnostics.
• Health system readiness: Partnering with hospitals and clinics around the world to modernize dementia care and integrate new tools into real-world clinical settings.

DAC is already active in 12 countries, including the US, and supports pilot programs at 19 health systems. Its six-year roadmap includes mobilizing $700 million in public and private capital to scale global dementia solutions.

The GAIN Act would deepen American engagement in DAC and put the US in a position to help lead global strategy like it already does with infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. But unlike these diseases, Alzheimer’s has long lacked a centralized international response body or global funding mechanism.

“This is a strategic opportunity for the United States to use its scientific leadership to coordinate not just research, but also how we deliver care and support families worldwide,” said George Vradenburg, chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and founder of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Under the Trump administration, the US has scaled back on its global humanitarian efforts. However, supporters of what the GAIN Act proposes argue that there is a heavy cost attached to inaction. In the US alone, Alzheimer’s care cost over $360 billion in 2024 and is on track to exceed $1 trillion by mid-century.