If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheirmer’s disease you most likely understand how difficult it can be to live with this medical condition. Alzheimer’s disease does not only affect the patient but also their family and caregivers.
If you are looking for additional treatment options or you have been advised to try clinical trials for Alzheimer’s, we encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider, continue your research, and take your time when making any decisions.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease
Before we dive into Alzheimer’s clinical trials, it is important to understand what it is and why it can be so detrimental.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common cause of dementia which is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and the shrinkage of brain tissue over time.
Symptoms can begin with mild memory loss and confusion but worsen over time, eventually leading to a person’s impaired ability to carry out daily activities.
Alzheimer’s disease is currently incurable, but ongoing research aims to find effective treatments and improve the quality of life for those affected.
What are clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease?
Clinical trials are used to determine whether a new medication or treatment is safe and effective against a medical condition, Alzeheimer’s in this instance. Developing a new medication or treatment can take many years and go through many phases.
Clinical trials allow researchers to test medications that can help to diagnose, treat, or cure medical conditions. WIthout clinical trials we would not have any of the medications we use today and we would not be able to continuously learn more about how these diseases work.
Clinical trials proceed through the four phases below:
Phase I: Safety and dosage testing.
Phase II:Efficacy and side effect assessment.
Phase III: Larger-scale testing for effectiveness.
Phase IV: Post-market studies and long-term effects.
If you would like to learn more about the phases of clinical trials, please visit our article here!
What are the different types of clinical trials?
Clinical trials do not only involve taking medications, they are also designed to test new devices, collect data for future research, and to learn more about how a medication works.
Observational: An observational clinical trial focuses on obtaining data over a period of time. This can be lab work from patients with Alzheimer’s or testing or imaging. Through observational trials, researchers are able to understand the disease progression which can lead to better outcomes in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Interventional: The goal of interventional trials is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new therapies and treatments. In these trials, researchers learn more about new medications by testing them in patients under the strict supervision of medical personnel. Interventional clinical trials undergo the four phases discussed above to ensure that the treatment is safe and effective in a large, diverse representation of the population before being approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Prevention trials: These trials focus on finding ways that Alzheimier’s or other diseases can be prevented. They use data to attempt to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or prevent it completely.
Diagnostic trials: Diagnostic trials are important in paving the way for new technology that can diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and more effectively. This can lead to better health outcomes by having new and more effective ways to diagnose the disease. The earlier the disease is diagnosed the better the prognosis may be.
How do you participate in clinical trials?
Participating in clinical trials can be beneficial for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
If you or a loved one would like to participate in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s, the first step is to consult with your healthcare provider to understand your treatment and care options. Your healthcare provider will have a better understanding of your health and medical history before advising you on whether you may benefit from participating in clinical trials.
Once you have spoken to your doctor or healthcare provider, you can follow the steps below to find and enroll into a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease.
Finding the right trial:
Clinicaltrials.gov has a list of many enrolling trials for every health condition imaginable!
We have created a resource guide that you can use to search for the best trial for yourself here.
It goes over every step with screenshots to guide you as you navigate the clinicaltrials.gov website. You will be able to filter for Alzheimer’s clinical trials, the location, whether they are currently enrolling and a lot more information to narrow down your search.
Once you have found the right clinical trial, you can reach out to the study team so that you can start the process.
After reading our guide to using clinicaltrials.gov, make sure to enroll into our newsletter so that you can receive your free copy of our guide to clinical trials by clicking here!
Eligibility criteria:
Every clinical trial has certain criteria that has to be met in order to enroll or sign up for the trial. Each clinical trial will have different criteria, for Alzheimer’s studies you may expect to have neurological and physical exams as well as blood work and other tests.
The eligibility criteria will ensure that you are a good fit for the clinical trial and that you will be able to benefit from participating. At this point you may also be asked questions and asked to verify your medical history and medications.
Starting your clinical trial:
Once you have found the right trial for your medical condition, and have passed the eligibility criteria screening, you will be seen at different time intervals at the clinical research site.
Each visit may be different as data will be collected to ensure your safety and if you have enrolled into an interventional study, you will receive the investigational product (medication/treatment) at specific intervals.
Safety is a big part of clinical trials and you will be under strict doctor supervision. Once you have started the treatment or medication it is important to tell your study physician if you feel any difference at all even when you might think that it is unrelated to the medication.
Labs, imaging, neurological and physical exams will be performed at specific intervals in order to make sure that you are proceeding safely through the study.
To conclude
We hope you have found this article helpful in your search for an Alzheimer’s clinical trial! As always, please make sure to check in with your healthcare provider before you start any new medications, treatments or clinical trials.
Clinical trials involve lots of phases before gaining approval by the FDA and it can take many years and lots of clinical trial participants.
If you have determined that a clinical trial may be right for you, you can use our guide to easily navigate and search clinicaltrials.gov. Once you have found the right clinical trial you can reach out to the study team so that you can start the process of determining if you are eligible to participate.
Once eligible, you can start your study visits at the clinical research site, where you will be given the investigational medication if you are enrolled into an interventional trial for Alzheimer’s disease. Your safety will be checked on throughout the study and you will be supported by the study team and supervised by the clinical research physician.
By participating in clinical trials, you will be making a contribution to the development of new diagnostic tests, medications and treatments.
If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!