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Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia with no current cure. A recent report by Alzheimer's Disease International announced that the current number of cases will increase from 44 million today to 135 million by 2050. This report, according to BBC News, stated that the majority of governments are "woefully unprepared for the dementia epidemic." Due to the amount of cases expected in the future, discovering a cure or better treatment is vital. According to a new study, scientists from the United Kingdom are reporting that an injection drug to treat Alzheimer's could be available within the next five years.

The drug, solanezumab created by Eli Lilly and Company, has reached its final stage study in the United States. The trial is currently looking for participants between the ages of 55 and 90. The trial involves administering a 400 mg injection of the drug monthly. The injections will last for 18 months and the trial's end date is scheduled to be in December 2016. The aim of the trial is to see if the drug is effective in slowing down the symptoms, such as cognitive and functional decline, in people with mild Alzheimer's.

The previous trials revealed that the drug was ineffective in treating patients who have entered the later stages of the disease. However, for people with early signs of the illness, the drug appeared to improve daily behavior, cognitive function and memory.

"I think the pathway now is if solanezumab is shown to work in mild Alzheimer's disease then the pathway would be to give it earlier and earlier and earlier...and you could have confidence you will see an effect," Dr. Eric Karran, the director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK said according to Sky News. "I am full of hope that we are going to have a breakthrough in five years."

If the drug trial is successful, solanezumab could make a huge difference in the number of Alzheimer's cases in the future. It could also improve patients' quality of life.