alzheimer disease

Alzheimer's disease research is at a pivotal moment following recent FDA approvals of amyloid-targeting antibodies (lecanemab, donanemab), which have validated the amyloid hypothesis after decades of failures and opened the door to disease-modifying treatment in early symptomatic disease. Trials now focus on earlier intervention, combination approaches, and non-amyloid targets including tau, neuroinflammation, and synaptic loss.

Current trials investigate anti-tau antibodies, microglial activators, BACE inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists repurposed for neuroprotection, and lifestyle interventions for prevention in APOE4 carriers. Plasma biomarkers (p-tau217, Aβ42/40 ratio) are increasingly used for enrollment screening, replacing expensive PET scans.

Most disease-modifying trials require early-stage disease (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia) with confirmed amyloid pathology by PET or CSF biomarkers.

Frequently Asked Questions — alzheimer disease Clinical Trials