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Introduction
Alzheimer trials index |
Scientists believe that in the near future drugs will be available that slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s. By altering the course of the disease and not simply addressing its symptoms, these disease-modifying drugs promise to lengthen and improve the quality of life of affected individuals, as well as lessen the economic burden of the disease on individuals, their families, and government agencies that share in the cost of the disease.
Considerable research is under way to decode the complex pathology of Alzheimer’s and, ultimately, to find a cure. With almost 300 compounds in various stages of development, almost every pharmaceutical company and dozens of new biotechnology companies have at least one compound in their development pipeline that targets Alzheimer’s.
Clinical trials are a crucial part of the government-mandated evaluation process that determines a drug’s future in its path from preclinical development to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. More than 175 clinical trials are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, a Web site of the FDA and National Institutes of Health. Seventy of these are Phase II or III interventional trials that are or will soon be recruiting volunteers. Interventional trials test the safety and effectiveness of an experimental drug, vaccine, device or therapy.
New developments in research include
- Advances in genetics research to identify individuals at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
- The discovery of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid, blood and urine that signal Alzheimer-like changes in the brain.
- The development of imaging techniques that graphically depict Alzheimer-like brain changes. These techniques will augment the findings of clinical examinations and neuropsychological assessments, which historically have provided the only means of predicting and diagnosing Alzheimer’s.
Eventually, these tools may enable physicians to diagnose persons at risk for Azlheimer’s―even before symptoms appear―and begin treatment in time to prevent the development of dementia altogether.
