▎Edited by the WuXi AppTec content team
Today, the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, announced that the first group of participants has been recruited for an international clinical trial aimed at preventing Alzheimer's disease in young adults.This trial aims to determine whether preventing the early molecular changes that lead to symptomatic Alzheimer's disease can fundamentally prevent the occurrence of the disease. The participants recruited for this study are as young as 18 years old, with minimal or undetectable Alzheimer's-related molecular changes in their brains.
Image Source: 123RF
Participants in the trial all carry specific genetic mutations, which cause them to develop Alzheimer's disease in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.Researchers expect the results of this study to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of all forms of Alzheimer's disease.This Primary Prevention Trial,Aiming to evaluate whether remternetug, an investigational antibody developed by Eli Lilly and Company, can clear plaques formed by β-amyloid protein—a key Alzheimer's disease-related protein—in the brain or prevent its accumulation.Whether it is hereditary or non-hereditary Alzheimer's disease, the gradual accumulation of β-amyloid protein in the brain occurs at the early stage of the disease. This process usually begins about twenty years before memory and thinking problems appear. Researchers hope to halt the progression of the disease at its earliest stage by clearing low levels of β-amyloid plaques and/or preventing their accumulation during the asymptomatic phase of the disease, thus sparing patients from developing clinical symptoms.
"In the past few years, we have made significant progress in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Eric McDade, professor of neurology and principal investigator of the clinical trial. "Two drugs targeting beta-amyloid have shown the ability to slow disease progression and have been approved by the U.S. FDA for treating patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. This strongly supports our hypothesis,NamelyIntervention at the earliest stage of β-amyloid plaque deposition, long before symptoms appear, may fundamentally prevent the onset of symptoms.”This trial is part of the "Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) Trials Unit (DIAN-TU)," a clinical trial platform aimed at finding drugs to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. The platform is closely associated with DIAN, an international research network that includes institutions in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, and South America. DIAN tracks families who carry mutations in any of the three genes that cause early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Children born into such families have a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation, and those who inherit it typically develop dementia symptoms at an age close to that of their affected parents. All participants in this study come from such families.Used in this studyRemternetug has been shown to effectively clear β-amyloid plaques in early clinical trials targeting patients with symptomatic common Alzheimer's disease, with results comparable to donanemab, another Alzheimer's treatment drug produced by Eli Lilly and Company that has received FDA approval.Notably, remternetug can be administered via subcutaneous injection, which is more convenient and less invasive than existing approved treatments delivered through intravenous infusion. Additionally, participants only need to receive an injection of remternetug or a placebo once every 3 months. The results of this trial will help scientists determine the optimal dosing regimen for preventive treatment.Each participant will receive two years of treatment, and the trial results are expected to be released in the next four to five years. After the trial period ends, participants with mutations are eligible to receive the drug for an additional four years during the open-label extension phase of the trial.The researchers are mainly focused on whether remternetug can prevent the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques in the brain.They will also examine the drug's effects on Alzheimer's-related biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid.Due to the relatively young age of the participants, the researchers anticipated that no changes in cognitive function would be observed during the trial.▲To learn more about the application of cutting-edge technologies in the biopharmaceutical industry, please long-press and scan the QR code above to access "WuXi Live Studio" and watch live discussions and exciting replays on related topics.
References:
[1] International Alzheimer’s prevention trial in young adults begins. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://medicine.washu.edu/news/international-alzheimers-prevention-trial-in-young-adults-begins/
Disclaimer: The content team of WuXi AppTec focuses on introducing the research progress in global biopharmaceuticals and health. This article is for information exchange purposes only, and the views expressed in the article do not represent the position of WuXi AppTec, nor does it indicate that WuXi AppTec supports or opposes these views. This article is not a recommendation for treatment plans. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a正规 hospital.Copyright Statement: This article is from the content team of WuXi AppTec. Individuals are welcome to share it on their social media circles, but unauthorized reproduction by media or institutions in any form to other platforms is prohibited. For authorization to reproduce, please reply with "reprint" on the WeChat Official Account of "WuXi AppTec" to obtain reprint guidelines.
Share，PointLike，In view, Focusing on Global Biomedical Health Innovation
