Barbara Klausman of Vancouver, proper, greets Aimee Pierce, M.D., as she arrives Wednesday for her common infusion as a part of a medical trial designed to forestall Alzheimer’s illness earlier than signs emerge. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)
Oregon Health & Science University is amongst a number of facilities throughout the nation concerned in a medical trial testing a promising new antibody to forestall Alzheimer’s illness earlier than signs develop.
The AHEAD study is the first-ever medical trial to check the impact of the antibody lecanemab in individuals who haven’t any cognitive signs of Alzheimer’s however have found by way of mind imaging the presence of a sort of protein referred to as amyloid that’s typically related to the illness. The examine is testing individuals as younger as 55 who’re liable to growing signs of Alzheimer’s as they become old.
Aimee Pierce, M.D. (OHSU)
“If we can detect it and treat it early, we believe we’ll have a better chance of fighting it,” stated Aimee Pierce, M.D., an affiliate professor of neurology within the OHSU School of Medicine who’s main the OHSU clinical trial testing lecanemab within the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Barbara Klausman, 76, of Vancouver, Washington, is among the many members who’ve dedicated to coming in for normal infusions on a month-to-month or biweekly foundation for 4 years.
“I’m really interested in someday having somebody find a cure for Alzheimer’s,” she stated. “It’s an awful disease.”
Barbara Klausman (OHSU)
Klausman’s mom had Alzheimer’s, as did her aunt. She has two daughters of their 50s, and he or she hopes that by collaborating on this medical trial, she helps to advance scientific discovery in order that Alzheimer’s could be prevented within the subsequent technology.
“I don’t want them to ever worry about having Alzheimer’s,” she stated.
Klausman just lately shared her expertise in tales that aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting and KGW-TV in Portland.
For extra data, or to contemplate enrolling within the medical trial, see:
The randomized medical trial is searching for to recruit greater than 1,000 individuals throughout North America in a examine thought of the gold customary of analysis: double-blinded and placebo-controlled.
That means all through the trial members get an intravenous infusion that will both be lecanemab or an inert saline resolution. Neither Klausman nor Pierce and her examine workforce will know whether or not particular person members are receiving lecanemab or the placebo till after the examine concludes.
In addition to the present medical trial, Pierce additionally led an earlier medical trial testing lecanemab amongst members within the early stage of the illness. In January of this yr, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for the lecanemab, identified by the commerce title Leqembi, in treating sufferers with gentle cognitive impairment or the gentle dementia stage of Alzheimer’s, so long as that they had confirmed presence of amyloid within the mind.
This analysis is supported by the NIH’s National Institute on Aging beneath award numbers R01AG054029 and R01AG061848. The AHEAD Study (Clinical Trial quantity NCT04468659) acquired funding from NIH and from nongovernmental sources. The content material is solely the duty of the researchers and doesn’t essentially symbolize the official views of the NIH.
Discussion about this post