About 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to double by 2050 according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The University of Rochester is joining a clinical trial of a new experimental drug that may slow the progressive decline associated with Alzheimer’s.
“Can we stop the disease from moving forward? Or can we slow it enough to where we are buying people more time and more years with their families,” said Dr. Emily Clark, lead researcher of this trial.
The AHEAD study, aims to slow down the disease by attacking the blood protein amyloid that doctors say contributes to advancements of the illness before symptoms become evident.
Clark said the protein can be present up to 20 years before symptoms appear. The trial will test the effectiveness of the experimental drug lecanemab on pre-symptomatic patients ages 55 to 80. In the past, the infused drug has been tested on individuals with early symptoms and proved “very promising” according to Clark.
“Their top line data all seem to meet the outcomes they were looking for,” Clark said about the phase three trial by Eisai and Biogen.
For this particular study, Clark is hoping to get more participants from underserved communities: Black people, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans.
She said about 95% of the participants in previous Alzheimer’s related studies have been white, which she causes a big disparity in how medicine is practiced.
“We're really risking a lot of people's health, a lot of safety when we know a lot about it in a certain population,” Clark said. “Then we bring it to the market, and it's accessible to everyone, but we only know what it does for white individuals.”
The Alzheimer's Association projects that older Black Americans have about two times higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than older white Americans but are not well represented in studies.
Clark said as the population begins to age so will the perception of progressive diseases.
“Now people are understanding that dementia and Alzheimer’s are not a normal part of aging, and there can be things that we do about it,” Clark said. “But it takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot of research, it takes time.”
To learn more about the study or to participate, visit www.AHEADstudy.org
