The TV star and entrepreneur details her family’s story in new campaign to help families recognize the signs and symptoms of agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia

Barbara Corcoran, renowned entrepreneur, author, investor and caregiving advocate, is collaborating with Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Otsuka) and Lundbeck LLC (Lundbeck) to introduce ‘I Wish I Knew,’ a national public education campaign. Announced today, the campaign is aimed at helping over 11 million family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s dementia better understand the signs and symptoms of agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia, a separate condition that nearly half of people living with Alzheimer’s dementia show signs of but that many people don’t know exists.^1-3 Barbara is sharing her family’s difficult journey in hopes that others will benefit from what she wishes she knew when her own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was showing symptoms of agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia. Agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia is one of the most persistent and distressing behavioral conditions that can cause patients to act out in uncharacteristic ways like verbal aggression, physical aggression, and restlessness.^3-4

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Barbara Corcoran viewing family photos. (Photo: Business Wire)

Barbara’s Story: Caring For Her Mother Through Alzheimer’s

Barbara’s father and her mother, Florence, lovingly raised 10 children in a two-bedroom apartment in Edgewater, New Jersey. Barbara was very close to her mom, considering her a great motivator who made Barbara believe she could do anything she wanted to in life if she worked hard to get there. Florence’s four brothers and mother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease, so Barbara was not surprised when her mother was diagnosed before age 75. Initially, Barbara and her siblings thought she was becoming forgetful, but following her diagnosis, the changes were radical and rapid. Caring for her mother during the nine years she lived with Alzheimer’s disease was a long and challenging road. Barbara was prepared for her mother’s memory loss from Alzheimer’s dementia, but not the other behavioral symptoms — like restlessness or outbursts of anger that she experienced due to a separate condition.⁴

“These changes felt heartbreaking for my siblings and me to watch, because our mother had never been this way. She was a lovebug. We didn’t recognize the agitated, angry person she had become,” said Barbara, who lost her mother in 2012. “We didn’t know about a separate condition, called agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.² Since then, I’ve learned about 50% of people living with Alzheimer’s dementia are diagnosed with the condition.³ I wish I knew.”

Empowering Family Caregivers

The collaboration among Barbara Corcoran, Otsuka and Lundbeck will focus on empowering family caregivers to learn about:

• Signs and Symptoms: Some of the symptoms of agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia can include restlessness, verbal aggression and physical aggression. Examples of these behaviors can include screaming, emotional outbursts, biting, throwing things, repetitive mannerisms, wandering, and pacing/rocking.⁴
• Seeking Help: If you care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s dementia and notice changes in their behavior — like resisting assistance or care, repeating motions or behaviors, restlessness, pacing, yelling, hitting or breaking things^4-5 — report those changes to your loved one’s doctor and ask about ways to manage behaviors.
• Caregiver Resources: Agitation can be one of the most complex and stressful parts of caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s dementia.³ Caregivers can visit RecognizeAlzheimersAgitation.com for more information. It’s also important for family caregivers to find a support group of others going through the same things you are, so you know you are not alone.

Barbara hopes her story will impact the lives of other caregivers and their loved ones. “I wish I knew that we were not the only family caring for a loved one with agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia, because we weren’t. I didn’t know, but I can make sure others do. That’s why I feel so grateful to be sharing my story with other family caregivers and working with Otsuka and Lundbeck to help others learn to spot the signs and symptoms.”

Visit RecognizeAlzheimersAgitation.com to view video messages from Barbara about her family’s journey and to learn more about agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia.

About Agitation in Alzheimer’s Dementia

Agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia is a separate, treatable, condition that is reported in approximately half of all patients with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.³ The condition has a large impact on patients, family members and caregivers.^3,6

It covers a large group of behaviors occurring in patients with this condition, such as pacing, restlessness, profanity, shouting, and hitting.⁵ Symptoms of agitation are also a consistent predictor of nursing home admission in patients with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease.^7-8

About Otsuka

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide. Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health. In pharmaceuticals, Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal, and cardiovascular health and has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis, a significant global public health issue. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a “big venture” company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does.

Otsuka established a presence in the U.S. in 1973 and today its U.S. affiliates include Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). These two companies’ 2,250 employees in the U.S. develop and commercialize medicines in the areas of mental health and nephrology, using cutting-edge technology to address unmet healthcare needs.

OPDC and OAPI are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 34,400 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 14.2 billion in 2023. All Otsuka stories start by taking the road less traveled. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at www.otsuka-us.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s global website is accessible at https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/.

About Lundbeck

Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals LLC is a wholly owned US subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S (HLUNa/HLUNb, HLUNA DC/HLUNB DC), a global biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on neuroscience, with more than 70 years of experience in improving the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric diseases.

As a focused innovator, we strive for our research and development programs to tackle some of the most complex challenges. We develop transformative medicines targeting people for whom there are few, if any, treatment options. Our goal is to create long term value and make a positive contribution to people and societies, everywhere we operate. We are committed to fighting stigma and discrimination, and we act to improve health equity for the people we serve and the communities we are part of.

Too many people worldwide live with brain diseases – complex conditions often invisible to others that nonetheless take a tremendous toll on individuals, families and societies. We are committed to fighting stigma and discrimination against people living with brain diseases and advocating for broader social acceptance of people with brain health conditions. Every day, we strive for improved treatment and a better life for people living with brain disease.

We have approximately 5,700 employees, and our products are available in more than 100 countries. Our research programs tackle some of the most complex challenges in neuroscience, and our pipeline is focused on bringing forward transformative treatments for brain diseases for which there are few, if any, therapeutic options. We have research facilities in Denmark and the United States, and our production facilities are located in Denmark, France, and Italy.

Lundbeck US comprises the wholly owned US subsidiaries of H. Lundbeck A/S, including Lundbeck LLC and Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals LLC. With a workforce of more than 1,000 colleagues, Lundbeck US is deeply committed to enhancing the lives of patients, families, and caregivers through focused innovation in neuroscience. For additional information, please visit Lundbeck.com/us and connect with us on LinkedIn and X at @LundbeckUS.

References

1. Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Published: 2024. Last accessed: July 10, 2024. Available at: https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf.
2. Senanarong V, Cummings JL, Fairbanks L, et al. Agitation in Alzheimer's disease is a manifestation of frontal lobe dysfunction. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2004;17(1-2):14-20.
3. Halpern R, Seare J, Tong J, Hartry A, Olaoye A, Aigbogun MS. Using electronic health records to estimate the prevalence of agitation in Alzheimer’s disease/dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019;34(3):420-431
4. Sano M, Cummings J, Auer S, et al. Agitation in cognitive disorders: Progress in the International Psychogeriatric Association consensus clinical and research definition. Int Psychogeriatr. 2024 Apr;36(4):238-250
5. Clevenger C, Brubaker M, Patel M, et al. The Agitation in Alzheimer’s Screen for Caregivers. November 2023.
6. Fillit H, Aigbogun MS, Gagnon-Sanschagrin P, et al. Impact of agitation in long-term care residents with dementia in the United States. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2021;36(12):1959-1969.
7. Kales HC, Gitlin LN, Lyketsos CG. Assessment and management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. BMJ. 2015;350:h369.
8. Yaffe K, Fox P, Newcomer R, et al. Patient and caregiver characteristics and nursing home placement in patients with dementia. JAMA. 2002;287(16):2090-2097.

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