Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on Nov. 15.
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time to remind ourselves of the costs of Alzheimer’s disease (the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.). In addition to the personal toll that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) takes on individuals and their families, it exacts a terrible financial burden. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that direct costs to American society for AD and other dementias will be $277 billion in 2018, with spending to Medicare and Medicaid expected to rise to a staggering $750 billion by 2050.
November is also a time to look toward a future that might contain a cure. Clinical research trials are the stepping stones to that cure. By continuously testing investigational medications and treatments on voluntary participants — and scientifically proving them to be safe and effective for humans — successful trials can ultimately result in widespread adoption of a better medical treatment that benefits everyone.
Due to its expertise and concerted efforts, AMITA Health Clinical Research in Neurosciences only selects clinical trials with solid scientific hypotheses that offer the most promise for developing AD treatment.
“We have been doing research on Alzheimer’s now for a very long time,” says neurologist and principal investigator Ajay Sood, MD, PhD. “While we may have not found any cure yet, with each clinical trial we have learned what did not work and inch closer to success.”
Trials range from preventative studies for healthy individuals at a higher risk of dementia to treatment trials that address all stages of the disease (mild, moderate and severe). Here is just one of the many ways we’re helping investigate potential treatments for AD:
Trial Description
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CNP520 in participants at risk for the onset of clinical symptoms of AD (Generation 2) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03131453).
Methodology
The study uses a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, adaptive design with variable treatment duration in approximately 2,000 cognitively unimpaired participants aged 60 to 75 years, with at least one APOE4 allele (homozygotes or heterozygotes) and, if heterozygotes, with evidence of elevated brain amyloid.
The screening period is expected to last about 12 weeks. Participants will receive disclosure of their individual test results for APOE genotyping and brain amyloid status. Treatment duration is variable (event-driven trial) for at least 60 months, and up to an expected maximum of 84 months. Participants will return to the study site every three months for drug dispensing and every six months for safety and efficacy assessments, including neuropsychological scales with input from the study partner. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans will be conducted at month 6 and month 12, and on a yearly basis thereafter.
The study (also known as the Generation Study 2) is conducted as part of the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) program.
Goal
Time to event — event is defined as diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD or dementia due to AD, whichever occurs first during the course of the study, after confirmation by the adjudication committee; change in the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative Composite Cognitive (APCC) test score
Why We Need Your Help
If you feel overwhelmed by the scale of AD and the damage it causes, one simple action can make a major difference: volunteer yourself or a loved one for a clinical trial.
“Decades of clinical research have shown us that the key to stopping Alzheimer’s disease is to act,” says Dr. Sood. “Enrolling in a clinical trial at a very early stage — before there are major cognitive problems — and making lifestyle changes for healthy living is the start.”
Participation in clinical research is incredibly important, not just to the sponsors and the science, but to your family, your loved ones, your neighbors and society as a whole. Clinical trials offer hope for finding groundbreaking treatments through the application of leading-edge science. It also allows participants to receive treatments long before those in the general population might gain access.
“It takes all members of society to find a cure,” says neurologist and principal investigator Concetta Forchetti, MD, PhD. “No matter if you are healthy or in the midst of the disease, by volunteering or supporting volunteers of clinical research, you become part of the cure!”
Original source can be found here.
Source: Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital
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