♪.

TED: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," A CONVERSATION INVOLVING THE MEDIA'S TREATMENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE ISSUES.

>>> ALSO TONIGHT, HOME BUILDING IN THE METRO PHOENIX AREA IS ON THE RISE DESPITE HIGHER INTEREST RATES.

>>> AND WE'LL LOOK AT NEW FDA APPROVED DRUG DESIGNED TO SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF EARLY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

THOSE STORIES AND NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

.

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN GREG STANTON TODAY BECAME THE LATEST DEMOCRAT TO CALL FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN TO END HIS RE-ELECTION BID.

STANTON DESCRIBED THE PRESIDENT AS, QUOTE, ONE OF OUR COUNTRY'S MOST EFFECTIVE MODERN CHIEF EXECUTIVES, ADDING THAT BIDEN IS, QUOTE, TRULY DELIVERING FOR ARIZONA.

STANTON SAID THE STAKES OF THE ELECTION COULD NOT BE HIGHER AND, QUOTE, TIME TO PATS TORCH TO A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS.

STANTON IS THE 13th HOUSE DEMOCRAT AND SECOND FROM ARIZONA TO ASK THE PRESIDENT TO STEP ASIDE.

>>> CONSUMER PRICES FELL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS WHICH TODAY REPORTED THAT THE MONTHLY DECLINE BROUGHT THE ANNUAL INFLATION RATE DOWN TO 3%.

FALLING GAS PRICES AND LOWER PRICES FOR NEW AND USED CARS LED TO THE OVERALL DECLINE.

THE NUMBERS WERE STRONGER IN THE PHOENIX METRO AREA, INFLATION CHECKED IN AT 2.7%, ONLY HOUSTON AND ATLANTA HAD LOWER URBAN INFLATION RATES.

TODAY'S NATIONAL REPORT ADDED TO WALL STREET'S INCREASING CONFIDENCE THAT INFLATION WILL CONTINUE TO EASE AND LEAD THE FED TO CUTTING INTEREST RATES IN THE COMING MONTHS.

AN 89% CHANCE OF THE FED RATE CUT BY THE NEXT MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.

THAT'S UP CLOSE TO 50% FROM LAST WEEK.

>>> AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY IS OUT WITH A NEW STUDY THAT SUGGESTS HALF OF ADULT CANCER DEATHS IN THE U.S. COULD BE PREVENTED BY MAKING LIFESTYLE CHANGES.

SMOKING WAS BY FAR THE LEADING FACTOR WITH CIGARETTES CONTRIBUTING TO NEARLY ONE IN FIVE CANCER CASES.

OTHER PREVENTABLE RISK FACTORS ARE EXCESSIVE BODY WEIGHT, EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, POOR DIET AND INFECTIONS LIKE HPV WHICH CAN BE TARGETED BY VACCINES.

KIDS IN HOMES WHERE ADULTS USE E-CIGARETTES ARE EXPOSED TO SIGNIFICANTLY LESS NICOTINE THROUGH SECONDHAND AEROSOLS THAN TRADITIONAL HOMES WHERE ADULTS USE CIGARETTES.

RESEARCHERS SAY THAT WHILE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SECONDHAND AEROSOL AND SECONDHAND SMOKE ARE PRONOUNCED, SAFEST TO AVOID VAPING AROUND CHILDREN AS THEIR LUNGS ARE STILL DEVELOPING AND VULNERABLE.

>>> THE CONTINUED REACTION TO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DEBATE PERFORMANCE INCLUDES CRITICISM OF THE MEDIA'S REPORTING OF THE DEBATE AND THE FOLLOW OF FOCUS ON THE PRESIDENT'S HEALTH.

SOME CRITICS CLAIM THERE'S A BIAS THE WAY THE MEDIA IS COVERING THE PRESIDENT AS OPPOSED TO REPORTING ON DONALD TRUMP'S MANY FALSEHOODS IN THE DEBATE AND SUBSEQUENT SPEECHES.

WE'RE JOINED BY JULIA WALLACE AT WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION.

GOOD TO HAVE.

>> YOU GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

TED: FIRST OF ALL, THE COVERAGE OF THE DEBATE AND THE AFTER MATH?

>> SO HERE'S A TRUTH.

READY FOR A FULL TRUTH, TED?

WHEN THERE'S BAD NEWS, YOU BLAME MESSENGER, SO ALL THESE PEOPLE SAW THE DEBATE.

THEY WERE FRANKLY UPSET, HORRIFIED, CONCERNED, USE YOUR WORD, AND THE PRESS REPORTED ON IT, AND PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT SO I THINK A LOT OF THE CRITICISM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS REALLY JUST SORT OF THAT NATURAL THING THAT HAPPENS WHERE WE GET BLAMED.

TED: OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MEDIA AND THE COVERAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.

WHY DIDN'T THE MEDIA COVER THE PRESIDENT'S CONDITION TO THIS EXTENT OR EVEN CLOSE TO THIS?

OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS ON THE GRAND STAGE, BUT WHERE WAS THE MEDIA IN THE MONTHS PRIOR TO ALL THIS?

>> THIS IS A REALLY GREAT POINT.

THERE WAS SOME REPORTING THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" DID AN EXCELLENT STORY ON IT, AXIOS DID GOOD WORK ON, THIS BUT THE REPORTERS SUFFERED FROM TWO THINGS.

ONE IS, FRANKLY THIS HAPPENED IN WHITE HOUSES BEFORE, YOU GET SO TIED IN WITH RESOURCES YOU DON'T SEE WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, AND ACCESS WAS VERY LIMITED AND THEY NEEDED TO FIGHT BACK MORE.

THAT IS VERY MUCH A FAIR CRITICISM.

THIS NEEDED TO BE AGGRESSIVELY REPORTED MUCH SOONER THAN IT WAS.

TED: DOES IT AMOUNT TO NEGLIGENCE, DO YOU THINK?

>> NEGLIGENCE IS A STRONG AND LEGAL WORD.

I'M NOT SURE I WOULD USE THAT WORD, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LIKE ANYTHING, YOU NEED TO MAKE UP FOR IT, OKAY, WE DIDN'T DO A GREAT JOB IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, A YEAR, NOT SURE WHAT THE CORRECT TIME FRAME, IS AS IT'S BECOME CLEAR, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE REPORTING.

TED: SOME ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AISLE SUGGEST NOT ONLY NEGLIGENCE BUT EQUATES TO CENSORSHIP WHEN YOU DON'T DO YOUR JOB, GOT A POINT?

>> WE KNOW THE STORY ABOUT ROOSEVELT THAT THE PRESS TOTALLY COVERED UP HIS HEALTH ISSUES.

THE STORY OF KENNEDY.

PRESS TOTALLY COVERED UP A LOT OF HIS PERSONAL ISSUES.

AS TIME HAS GONE ON, THE PRESS HAS GOTTEN MUCH BETTER AT EXPOSING WHAT THEY SEE, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S HARD.

I THINK WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE SOURCES TELLING YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT.

TED: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FOCUS, AGAIN, A LOT ON BIDEN'S AGE.

HIS CONDITION, THESE THINGS.

AFTER THE DEBATE, THERE WAS FOCUS ON WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID, SOME OF THE THINGS AND THE MANY, MANY FALSEHOODS THAT CNN PUT TOGETHER THIS CAVALCADE OF LISTS.

DO YOU THINK THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION PAID ON THAT, OR AGAIN WAS BIDEN'S PERFORMANCE SO SURPRISING THAT IT JUST OVERWHELMED EVERYTHING?

>> RIGHT, SO WE'RE IN THE NEWS BUSINESS, AND THE NEWS WAS BIDEN.

WHAT TRUMP SAID, AS CNN AND OTHERS DOCUMENTED, THERE WERE A LOT OF FALSEHOODS, A LOT OF EXAGGERATION BUT IT WAS PAR FOR THE COURSE.

IT WASN'T A SURPRISE THAT HAPPENED.

I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WITH BIDEN IS PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED BY WHAT THEY SAW.

I MEAN, THERE HAD BEEN SOME INDICATIONS ALONG THE WAY.

SOME VIDEOS, A FEW SNAPSHOTS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN FOR 90 MINUTES, MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE SITTING IN THEIR LIVING ROOMS, WATCHING SOMEONE WHO CAN'T FINISH SENTENCE, STRUGGLING TO ARTICULATE KEY POINTS, AND THAT IS THE NEWS.

ORDINARILY YOU WOULD THINK WHEN A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON A DEBATE SAYS I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH A PORN STAR, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE TOP STORY.

IN THIS CASE IT WASN'T.

TED: BUT DOES THAT MEAN THAT MUCH OF TRUMP'S BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN NORMALIZED THROUGH THE MEDIA, AND WITH THE MEDIA?

I MEAN, GRANTED, A LOT OF THE THINGS HE SAID WE'VE HEARD BEFORE.

THEY'RE FALSEHOODS, HE REPEATS THEM, BUT WHAT'S THE MEDIA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SAY THAT STILL ISN'T TRUE?

>> I THINK THEY ARE.

I THINK THAT CONTINUES.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS, WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT?

I THINK IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT MOST MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND THEIR COVERAGE, THERE'S A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION OF TRUMP'S CHALLENGES AND ISSUES, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S SORT OF GOTTEN CONFLATED WITH THE BIDEN ISSUE AND I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO COMPARE THE TWO.

WE HAVE TO SORT OF -- WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT HOW THE PRESS HAS COVERED TRUMP, BUT IN THIS MOMENT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW THE PRESS HAS COVERED BIDEN AND WILL COVER IT GOING FORWARD.

TED: TALKING ABOUT THE MAINSTREAM PRESS IN PARTICULAR.

LOTS OF INTERNET CHATTER ABOUT EPSTEIN AND DONALD TRUMP'S RELATIONSHIP WITH EPSTEIN AND THE INVESTIGATION AND WHAT THAT INVESTIGATION IS BRINGING.

WE'RE NOT SEEING, THAT IS SURPRISING, THAT'S SALACIOUS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT SEEM TO GATHER ATTENTION.

WE'RE NOT SEEING A HECK OF A LOT ON THAT.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

>> I THINK IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THAT REEMERGES, I THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN.

I THINK SOME OF IT IS THIS IS SO SORT OF TAKEN AMERICA, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DEBATE, WE'RE MESMERIZED WITH BIDEN.

WE HAVE AGING PARENTS.

WE HAVE AGING GRANDPARENTS.

THIS IS SOMETHING VERY RELATABLE AND REAL FOR PEOPLE, AND SO WE WATCH THIS IN A VERY EMOTIONAL WAY, AND SO I THINK THIS STORY HAS A LOT OF RESONANCE FOR PEOPLE.

>> I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT.

SEEMS LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY OF TAKING THE KEYS AWAY.

WE CAN'T LET YOU DRIVE ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE AND YOU'RE TOO OLD, AND WHAT A FIGHT THAT CAN BE.

>> FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.

SO MY MOTHER HAD EVENTUALLY ALZHEIMER'S, BUT WHEN SHE WAS IN THE STAGE WITH MILD COGNITIVE DECLINE, SHE WAS STILL FUNCTIONING BUT HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE DRIVING.

REFUSED, REFUSED, REFUSED TO STOP DRIVING.

ULTIMATELY, WE HAD A REMEDY.

WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE HER DOWN TO THE DMV, THEY GAVE HER A TEST, SHE FLUNKED BEFORE SHE GOT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND THEY TOOK HER LICENSE AWAY, RIGHT?

ONE OF THE INTERESTING QUESTIONS IS, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH OLDER ADULTS WHO BEGIN TO HAVE ISSUES PERFORMING IN ANY JOB, BUT PARTICULARLY TOP JOBS LIKE THIS, AND WHAT ARE THE REMEDIES ALONG THE WAY?

IT'S TOUGH, AND IT'S A HARD ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL A LITTLE AFRAID OF TALKING ABOUT AGING.

TED: YES, YES, WE ARE.

LAST QUESTION HERE.

DOES ANY OF IT MATTER AS FAR AS THE ELECTION IS CONCERNED?

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE'S MIND IS MADE UP ONE WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.

THEY VOTE THIS WAY OR VOTE THAT WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE CANDIDATE MIGHT BE.

IT ALMOST SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS IS A SIDESHOW.

>> WELL, LET'S LOOK AT WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN ENGLAND.

LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN FRANCE.

EVERYBODY SAID HERE'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, AND GUESS WHAT?

IN BOTH THOSE ELECTIONS, IT DIDN'T.

TED: RIGHT.

>> WE NEED TO TRUST VOTERS AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THE INFORMATION AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.

TED: JULIA WALLACE, CRONKITE SCHOOL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

.

TED: HOME BUILDING PERMITS IN THE PHOENIX AREA ARE UP BIGTIME, THAT'S IN SPITE OF PERSISTENTLY HIGH INTEREST RATES.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS ACTIVITY MEAN FOR HOME PRICES IN THE REGION'S HOUSING SHORTAGE?

WE ASK CATHERINE REIGER, SENIOR REPORTER AT "ARIZONA REPUBLIC" AND AZCENTRAL.COM.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU.

>> GOOD TO TALK REAL ESTATE WITH YOU.

TED: 57% UP?

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

>> YOU MENTIONED INTEREST RATES.

HOME BUILDERS ARE ABLE TO DO INTEREST RATE BUYDOWNS, I SAW THEY'RE BUYING DOWN TO 4.6% COMPARED TO A 7 FOR A 30-YEAR MORTGAGE.

TED: CAN THEY AFFORD TO DO THAT?

>> THEY DO.

THE WAY THE FINANCING IS SET UP AND THE WAY THEY'RE GOING THROUGH WITH HOW THEY'RE DOING IT, AND IT'S ONLY A TWO-YEAR THING AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE RATES BUT IT IS HELPING SPUR HOUSING, AND WE HAVE THIS REALLY SHORT SUPPLY OF RESALES, BUT WE'RE NOT NEARLY BACK TO THE RECORDS WHEN YOU AND I SPOKE DURING THE BOOM.

TED: TRUE.

AT 57% UP THROUGH MAY AS OPPOSED TO LAST YEAR.

IS THAT LIKE BOOMTIME OR IS THAT LAST YEAR WAS SO LOUSY?

>> LAST YEAR WAS PRETTY LOUSY WHEN INTEREST RATES HIT AND FIGURING OUT THE BUYDOWNS BUT HAVE THE INCREDIBLE DEMAND, AND THE HOUSING SHORTAGE, WHICH YOU MENTIONED AND THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE TSMC, AMTELL, NEW COR, THEY NEED THE NEW HOMES.

BUILDERS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND.

>> THE GROWING POPULATION HAS TO BE AN IMPACT, TRUE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY, YES.

WE NEED THE HOMES, WE HAVE PEOPLE MOVING HERE, EMPLOYEES WITH JOBS WHO CAN AFFORD HOMES AND IT'S A LOT TOUGHER THAN IT USED TO BE.

TED: YEAH, AND YOU MENTIONED TSMC, SOUTHWEST VALLEY IS TOPS, NORTHWEST VALLEY IS NEXT.

I MEAN, ARE THESE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES.

WHAT KIND OF HOMES ARE BEING BUILT?

>> SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES BUT ALSO A LOT OF BUILD TO RENT HOMES.

LAST YEAR WE WERE NUMBER ONE FOR BUILD TO RENT HOMES AND NOW WE'RE THREE OR FOUR, IT TOOK OFF.

AND PEOPLE WHO COME FOR A JOB AND HAVEN'T LIVED HERE A LONG TIME LIKE THAT, BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE REALLY POPULAR.

TED: BUILD TO RENT HOMES AREN'T NECESSARILY APARTMENTS AND DUPLEXES AND THESE THINGS?

>> NO, NO, STAND ALONE HOMES.

TED: BUILD TO RENT?

I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT PHRASE.

>> YOU WOULDN'T KNOW, YOU GO RIGHT PAST THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW, AND MAY HAVE A BIG MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY AND REGULAR SUBDIVISION WHERE THE BUYERS AND BUILD TO RENT SUBDIVISION RIGHT BESIDE THEM AND THE DEMAND IS THERE.

TED: OKAY, THE DEMAND IS THERE, WHAT ABOUT SALES?

WHAT ABOUT PRICING?

>> PRICING HAS BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT, WHICH IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE MATERIAL IS UP, LABOR UP, COST, BUT BUILDERS KIND OF WENT THROUGH THIS REWORKING AFTER THE PANDEMIC WHEN EVERYTHING STOPPED AND FINDING WORKERS AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS DRIED UP SO THEY'RE COMING BACK, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE STILL RESTRICTING A LITTLE BIT THE AMOUNT OF HOMES THEY CAN BUILD.

THE DEMAND IS OUT THERE.

IF YOU GO TO SOME OF THE NEW COMMUNITIES AND YOU'LL SAY I DO WANT TO BUY, AND YOU'RE LIKE, IT WILL TAKE A WHILE, WE DON'T HAVE SPEC HOMES FOR YOU TO MOVE IN.

WE'RE STILL GETTING THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO IT'S TAKING LONGER AND THE PENT-UP DEMAND IS DRIVING IT, BUT CATCHING UP.

TED: PENT-UP DEMAND AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD LIFT THE PRICES.

THAT'S BASIC ECONOMICS, BUT THEY'RE FLAT?

>> THEY'RE FLAT.

I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I SAW THAT TOO, AND THEY'RE CLOSER IN PRICE TO RESALES THAN THEY WERE.

THE MEETING RESALE IS ABOUT $450, AND THE NEW HOME ABOUT $475,000.

USED TO BE $100,000 SPREAD.

TED: DO YOU EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE OR THE ANALYSTS EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE?

>> WHAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD.

DEFINITELY BUILDING SMALLER HOMES ON SMALLER LOTS, BUT THAT'S A GOOD -- SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT, THAT THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER TO AFFORDABILITY AND OUR HOUSING SHORTAGE, TO GET THE HOMES, AND IT WENT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO DO AND GET THE ZONING, BUT THAT GETS THE HOMES WE NEED, AND WE ALL DON'T NEED AN ACRE LOT, IF YOU WANT YOUR ACRE LOT AND IT WORKS FOR YOU, IF YOU HAVE A YARD AND STAND ALONE HOME, IT'S 900 -- 1900 SQUARE FEET, 2700 SQUARE FEET, BIGGER THAN AN APARTMENT.

TED: NO KIDDING, AND YOU MENTIONED INTEREST RATES, IF YOU'RE A HOME BUILDER RIGHT NOW AND NOT BUYING DOWN THOSE RATES, ARE YOU DOING ANY BUSINESS AT ALL?

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK MOST ARE.

I THINK MOST ARE.

THE SMALLER PRIVATES THAT MIGHT BE TOUGHER AND ALSO THE LUXURY BUYERS THAT DO THOSE, IT MIGHT BE TOUGHER BUT THE PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE AND THE FINANCING AND A LOT OF THE PUBLIC BUILDERS HAVE ADDITIONAL FINANCING AND MAKING IT WORK, AND I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT NEW HOMES JUST FOR THAT, EVEN IF THEY HAD TO GO FARTHER OUT.

TED: INTERESTING, YOU MENTIONED THIS IS FAR FROM THE BOOM TIMES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERYEAR.

HOW DIFFERENT?

>> REMEMBER DURING THE BOOM TIMES WE HAD 55,000 NEW HOMES GO UP.

THAT WAS A PROBLEM DURING THE RECESSION.

A LOT OF THEM SAT EMPTY, BUT WE'RE AT HALF THAT ON PACE, BUT A FEW YEARS AGO, WE'RE AT 18,000.

TED: BUT IS THAT NOT HEALTHY?

WHAT WE SAW DURING THE BOOM, THAT WASN'T HEALTHY, WHEN THE RECESSION HIT, IT HIT HERE HARD.

>> IT DID, IT WAS ARTIFICIAL DEMAND, INVESTOR SPECULATORS BUYING SIX IN THE SUBDIVISION AND WASN'T COMING OUT THAT THEY WERE DOING THAT, AND THEY WEREN'T PUTTING MONEY DOWN BECAUSE WE HAD THE BAD LOANS WHICH I TALKED ABOUT THEN, WHICH CAUSED THE CRASH AND WALL STREET AND EVERYTHING, AND THAT -- WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW.

TED: BEFORE YOU GO BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

SPECULATION, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SPECULATION, ALWAYS AN ISSUE HERE.

WHERE ARE THEY?

>> THE SPECULATORS?

>> YEAH.

>> YOU KNOW THEY CAN'T GO IN WITH NOTHING DOWN AND DON'T HAVE THE MONEY DOWN.

WE HAVE INVESTORS, OF COURSE.

WE'LL ALL HAVE INVESTORS IN ARIZONA AND METRO PHOENIX BECAUSE OF GROWTH AND HAVE THE INVESTORS AND INVESTORS ARE BUYING ENTIRE BUILD TO RENT COMMUNITIES AND DOING WELL WITH THOSE, BUT IT'S JUST A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MARKET AND MUCH HARDER TO GET A MORTGAGE, AND SO THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY IT SOUNDS HEALTHY TO ME.

CATHERINE REAGOR, "ARIZONA REPUBLIC," THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

.

TED: THE FDA HAS APPROVED A NEW TREATMENT TO SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF EARLY SYMPTOMATIC ALZHEIMER'S CALLED DONANEMAB.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MEDICATION, WE WELCOME DR. DAVID OF THE BANNER ALZHEIMER'S INSTITUTE.

GET YOUR NAME PRONOUNCED THERE?

>> NEITHER OR NEITHER, BUT IT'S WEIDMAN.

TED: THANK YOU, DOCTOR, WHAT IS DONANEMAB?

>> A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY WHERE WE TAKE PEOPLE AND ANTIBODIES GROWN IN THE LA, SYNTHESIZED AND HUMANIZED SO THEY'RE NOT TOO ALLERGIC, DONANEMAB IN PARTICULAR IS ATTACKING KIND OF LIKE PACMAN THE SOLID FORMS OF THE AMYLOID ON THE BRAIN THAT KICKS OFF THE DISEASE OF ALZHEIMER'S.

TED: BASICALLY HELPS THE BODY REMOVE THE AMYLOID?

>> IT ACTUALLY IS NOT EVEN ENHANCING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, IT ITSELF IS CREATING A REACTION WITH INFLAMMATION, BUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM UP THERE IS PART OF IT, BUT NOT THE BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BRAIN AND EVEN THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER THERE IS SACROSANCT, SO THE BRAIN, ONLY 1 OR 2% OF THE ANTIBODY CROSSES THE BLOOD BRAIN BAREIO, SO IT'S NOT A SYSTEMIC EFFECT AT ALL.

TED: THIS SLOWS THE PROGRESSION OF EARLY ALZHEIMER'S.

SLOWS, IT IS NOT A CURE, CORRECT?

>> CORRECT.

RESEARCH NOW, 20 OR 30 YEARS OF TRYING TO FIND ANTIBODIES OR OTHER TREATMENTS THAT MODIFY THE DISEASE, IN THE SENSE OF SLOWS DOWN THE DECLINE, WE FINALLY ACHIEVED JUMPING OVER THAT HURTLE.

WE HAVE A LOT MORE MECHANISMS AND DRUGS, WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO GO HERE.

A LOT FARTHER, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE CONCEPT OF REVERSING GEARS OR CURING WHICH MEANS HALTING, THAT IS A STORY FOR A FUTURE DAY.

TED: HOW MUCH DOES IT SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER'S?

>> WELL, THE TRIAL EVIDENCE, WHICH LED TO FDA APPROVAL WAS GIVING THE DRUG MONTHLY ANYWHERE FROM 9 TO 19 MONTHS EACH MONTH, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO, BY LOWERING THE AMYLOID TO NEARLY NONDETECTIBLE LEVEL WERE CONVERTED TO SALINE, SALT WATER, PLACEBO AND DIDN'T KNOW IT.

EVERYONE WAS GROUPED TOGETHER AND THAT SLOWING DOWN OF DECLINE, CALLED A TREATMENT GROUP OF OVER 800 PEOPLE WAS ABOUT ON THE MAIN MEASUREMENT 40% LESS DECLINE THAN THE DECLINE IN THE PLACEBO GROUP, SO IT DOES NOT ACTUALLY CAUSE IMPROVEMENT IN CERTAIN SYMPTOMS, BUT A VERY IMPORTANT POINT IS IF YOU'RE SLOWING DOWN DECLINE ENOUGH AND GIVE IT EARLY ENOUGH, THEN WE THINK CERTAIN SYMPTOMS CAN BE FORE STALLED BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY HAVE STARTED TO NOT DRIVE OR HAVING TROUBLE WITH FINANCES BUT THEY CAN STILL HANDLE ALL THE DOMESTIC CHORES, CAN STILL TAKE THE MEDICATION ON THEIR OWN, SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN, THAT LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

TED: I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, SOMETIMES YOU SLOW SOMETHING DOWN AND THE BOOMERANG EFFECT IS ALMOST EXPONENTIALLY MORE ONCE IT HITS ITS STRIDE AGAIN.

ANY SENSE OF THAT HAPPENING?

>> THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITH THE DRUG BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING X AMOUNT, AND LOWER IT DOWN TO 20 OVER 18 MONTHS, WE KNOW THERE'S SOME DATA THAT THE AMOUNT OF AMYLOID THAT KIND OF REGROWS OR REACCUMULATES IS ONE CENTALOYD A YEAR, YOU'RE GOING FROM 100 TO 20, A YEAR LATER, WE DON'T HAVE FULL DATA YET BECAUSE THE STUDIES ARE ENDING AND PEOPLE NEED THE EXTENSION, WHERE THEY'RE STILL GETTING THE DRUG, THOUGH THE DRUG IS APPROVED AND THEY'RE STILL IN THE STUDY.

NO ONE IS TAKING THE DRUG BECAUSE IT'S INDESCRIBABLE, THERE ARE SO MANY SAFEGUARDS AND HURTLES TO JUMP THROUGH INCLUDING ACCESS, MRI AND SAFETY.

THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE GOTTEN TREATMENT AND DECIDE TO LEAVE EARLY AND GONE FROM 100 TO 20, THAT'S 80% DECREASE, A YEAR LATER THEY'RE ONLY GOING UP TO 21, 22.

THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE STORY.

THE AMYLOID HAS TANGLES AND TAO PROTEIN.

AMYLOID IS LIKE THE TRIGGER, SO WE'RE SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE BIT THE TRAJECTORY OF THE AMOUNT TAO ACCUMULATION SO SLOWING THE BULLET, SO IF YOU PREVENT THE TRIGGER, THE BULLET IS STILL LEAVING THE GUN, MAYBE AT A LOWER SPEED.

TED: YEAH, YEAH, IS IT SAFE?

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS FAR AS SAFETY?

>> YEAH, FIRST THE EMPHASIS IN THE PACKAGE INSERT, ANYONE CAN LOOK THIS UP IS EXCELLENT ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE SAFETY CONCERNS FOR PRESCRIBERS, PHYSICIANS AND THE MAIN SIDE EFFECTS, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AMONG THOSE TWO CAUSES LEAKAGE OF WATER AS WE ELIMINATE THE AMYLOID OFF THE BLOOD VESSELS SO THE BLOOD VESSELS MAY LEAK WATER ON THE SURFACE OF THE BRAIN.

AMYLOID-RELATED IMAGING ABNORMALITIES E, E IS THE MEDICAL TERM FOR EDEMA AND EDEMA MEANS WATER.

TED: YES.

>> THAT IS SOMETIME SERIOUS, BUT IN THIS CASE WITH THE TRIALS, IT WAS 2 OR 3% RISK OF SERIOUS RE, MAYBE END UP WITH A SMALL SEIZURE OR END IN THE HOSPITAL FOR CONFUSION, TRANSIENT VISUAL LOSS, BUT 97% OF FOLKS EVEN TAKE THE WHOLE GROUP, 97% OF FOLKS, WHEN YOU HOLD THE DRUGS, WHEN YOU DO SAFETY MRIs AND SEE REACTIONS, WHICH ALMOST EXPECT IT IN SOME PEOPLE AND YOU HOLD THE DRUG UNTIL THE REACTIONS CLEAR ON MRI SCAN.

TED: LAST QUESTION, I WANT TO GET THIS IN HERE, THIS IS EXPENSIVE STUFF, 32,000 A YEAR.

IS THAT BEFORE INSURANCE?

>> THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, MOST BIG PHARMA NOW, THE MARKETING IS GEARED TOWARDS IT, AND THEY WANT TO START HIGH BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE, OF COURSE, INCOME-BASED DISCOUNTS, THAT WOULD BE THE PRIVACY THE DRUG STARTING, BUT IT'S LIKE OUR CHARGES, DOCTORS CAN BE HIGH INITIALLY BECAUSE WITH THE SELF-PAY PERSON COMES IN AND COULD BE HIGHER, SO WE COME DOWN AND HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES, IT'S A VERY SIMILAR BUSINESS PRINCIPLE.

THIS DRUG IS GIVEN NINE TIMES OVER 19 AND THE OTHER DRUG GIVEN INDEFINITELY.

I WOULDN'T COMPARE THE PRICES.

IT'S THE DURATION OF TREATMENT.

TED: GOT TO STOP YOU, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

ENCOURAGING NEWS.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

TED: THAT'S IT FOR NOW, I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.