Leading California Alzheimer's & Dementia Organizations Endorse Proposition 38 to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Cures

Alzheimer's Los Angeles, Alzheimer's Orange County, Alzheimer's San Diego & Alzheimer's Association/AIM back vital funding for medical research to cure diseases

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, August 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Leading California Alzheimer's and dementia organizations today endorsed YES on Proposition 38, the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative, on California’s November ballot.

Prop 38 will provide $8.4 billion in vitally needed funding to advance breakthrough immunology medical research to help prevent and treat Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and other persistent and debilitating diseases impacting nearly every California family. A broad and growing coalition of more than 50 patient advocacy, medical and research organizations back the measure and urge Californians to vote YES on Prop 38 in the upcoming election.

Nearly 720,000 Californians are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias, more than in any other state. Current FDA-approved treatments can slow disease progression for some with early Alzheimer's, underscoring the need for continued research into treatments that can prevent, stop or cure the disease. Immunology is emerging as a promising path toward preventing and curing Alzheimer’s through approaches that identify and clear amyloid plaques in the brain associated with the disease.

“Alzheimer's steals memories and independence from the people we love, and deprives us of precious time with them,” said Susan Disney Lord, Board Chair, Alzheimer's Los Angeles. “Proposition 38 offers hope by supporting breakthrough immunology research that would change the future for millions of people.”

Immunotherapies harness the body’s immune system to recognize and stop disease and are already saving and extending lives for patients with melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. Prop 38 will fund the next generation of that research, including work on how the immune system and the brain interact as disease develops.

“Close to 100,000 people in San Diego County are living with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, and that number is expected to rise to 115,000 by 2030,” said Eugenia L. Welch, President and CEO, Alzheimer's San Diego. "Every family we work with is waiting for research to catch up to their need, and right now that need is only growing. Prop 38 gives California a real shot at leading that research instead of waiting on it. We're asking voters to support those families this November by voting yes on Prop 38.”

Prop 38 represents a new approach to medical research funding, creating a collaborative statewide network that combines competitive research grants with a world-class immunology institute designed to help turn discoveries into life-saving treatments and cures. Half of its $8.4 billion will support competitive grants at California universities and nonprofit research institutions, while the other half will support a nonprofit immunology institute affiliated with the University of California that can bring together leading scientists, technology, laboratories, patients and clinical trials. The California Department of Public Health will select an eligible institute based on strict criteria. Prop 38 also requires collaboration among grantees so discoveries, expertise and best practices can be shared across institutions rather than siloed.

The timing matters. Uncertainty in federal research funding is slowing clinical trials and delaying discoveries at the exact moment this science has momentum.

“Every year we wait is another year of Orange County families receiving a diagnosis that changes their family and loved one forever,” said Jim McAleer, President and CEO, Alzheimer's Orange County. “More than 164,000 neighbors here are living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Those families can't wait for the funding picture in Washington to sort itself out.”

Prop 38 is designed to pay for itself. Ten percent of all proceeds from the licensing of immunotherapies must be returned to California to offset the measures total costs, including interest. Additionally, any cure or immunotherapy developed will be provided to California patients at a 20 percent discount.

Prop 38 also includes strict accountability requirements, including:
- Two percent cap on state administrative expenses
- Public disclosure of spending
- Independent financial audits
- For-profit corporations are not eligible for grant funding

Yes on Prop 38 is supported by a broad coalition of patient advocates, doctors, nurses, scientists, researchers and medical organizations working on behalf of Californians affected by cancer and other devastating diseases.
Learn more at YESon38.com, including a full coalition list and what supporters are saying.

Robin Swanson
email us here
Yes on Prop 38
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X
Other

Viva Mogi, a caregiver to her Mom who lives with Alzheimer's, supports YES on Prop 38 to help find a cure.