A major clinical trial has begun in the United Kingdom with the goal of accelerating the search for effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The study, known as AD-SMART, will simultaneously test two repurposed medicines already approved for other conditions: metformin for type 2 diabetes and atomoxetine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Angela Bucksey, a 67-year-old resident of Cambridgeshire, became the first participant to receive treatment in the trial after her diagnosis in January. She joined the study alongside her husband Steve, who serves as her study partner. Bucksey noted that while her family history made the diagnosis less of a shock, participating in the trial gave her a sense of agency. “Instead of just sitting there, you’re standing up and saying, I will fight back,” she said.
Accelerating Research Through Platform Trials
The AD-SMART study utilizes a multi-arm, multi-stage platform design. This approach allows researchers to evaluate several treatments at once against a single control group receiving a placebo. This structure increases the likelihood that participants will receive an active treatment compared to traditional single-drug trials. It also enables scientists to drop ineffective drugs quickly and introduce new candidates without restarting the entire process.
This methodology has previously shown success in oncology and motor neurone disease research. Professor Paresh Malhotra, the chief investigator and group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute Centre for Care Research & Technology at Imperial College London, explained that the trial applies advances from other medical fields to speed up Alzheimer’s research.
“For too long, Alzheimer’s research has moved at the pace of one drug, one trial, one answer – sometimes taking a decade or more before we know if we’ve found something that works,” Malhotra said. “We are applying advances from cancer and other conditions to accelerate testing of treatments for people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Scientists believe the selected drugs may help reduce brain inflammation, a key driver of neurodegeneration. The trial will assess whether these medications can improve thinking abilities and help patients maintain their quality of life in daily activities.
Scope and Support for the Study
The trial aims to recruit 1,200 participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s across more than 30 sites in the UK. Locations in Cambridgeshire, Surrey, London, Southampton, and Edinburgh are already open for enrollment. Participants will undergo regular health checks and cognitive tests to monitor the effectiveness of the treatments.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose father died from Alzheimer’s last month, expressed support for the initiative. He highlighted the devastating impact of the disease on families and stated his pride in seeing cutting-edge treatments reach patients in the UK as quickly as possible.
Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, emphasized that time is precious for those living with the disease and that more treatment options are urgently needed. The study is led by the UK Dementia Research Institute and Alzheimer’s Research UK, with funding from the UK government and support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council, and Health Data Research UK.
Researchers expect to finish evaluating the initial drugs in 2030. During this period, additional treatments are likely to be added to the trial as the platform evolves. People with a confirmed Alzheimer’s diagnosis who wish to participate can register their interest on the AD-SMART website.
Source: BBC
