Current Clinical Projects

Our projects range from non-invasive, observational studies to traditional clinical trials.

If you are interested in learning more about our clinical trials, please fill out your information at the following link: Alzheimer’s Research Online Survey Form

Athira

The study will seek to examine the safety and efficacy of ATH-1017 in volunteers with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. ATH-1017 is a small molecule drug that targets specific systems in the brain to promote the creation and protection of brain cells. Findings from this study may help to determine if ATH-1017 is a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.

This study is no longer enrolling participants.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in AD

Johnson & Johnson

This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, traditionally used for prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, on immune and brain biomarkers in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease. The overall goal of this project is to understand if BCG provides any protective or disease-modifying benefits in individuals on the Alzheimer’s Disease spectrum

This study is no longer enrolling participants.

This clinical trial will examine the effects and safety of an experimental compound, JNJ-63733657, in volunteers with early Alzheimer’s Disease. JNJ-63733657 is designed to bind to tau proteins in the brain to hopefully prevent cognitive decline. We will be examining the changes in blood, brain imaging, brain fluid, and behavior in volunteers after receiving infusions of this experimental drug. The study will allow us to determine if JNJ-63733657 is a safe and effective treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease.

This study is no longer enrolling participants.

Exploratory Platform trial on Anti-Inflammatory Agents in Alzheimer’s Disease (EXPLAIN-AD)

NADALS Basket

Sage Therapeutics, Inc.

The purpose of this platform study is to determine the effects of anti-inflammatory treatment on memory and thinking in patients with early Alzheimer’s Disease. The first anti-inflammatory treatment used in this study is called Canakinumab (ACZ885). Additionally, this study will see if anti-inflammatory treatment has an effect on biomarkers in your body. Lastly, the safety of the anti-inflammatory treatment and how it is tolerated will be assessed. Our hope is that this study will allow rapid and efficient screening of potentially efficacious agents in participants with early AD.

This study is no longer enrolling participants.

This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of baricitinib in people with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Baricitinib is an oral FDA approved medication for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19 and alopecia. The overall goal of this project is to determine what effect baricitinib has on inflammatory and neurodegenerative biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s Disease.

This study may be open to enrollment! Please contact us if interested in participating.

The LIGHTWAVE study will evaluate the effects, safety and tolerability of an oral investigational drug, Sage-718, in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease. Sage-718 is an oral investigational drug designed to target NMDA receptors. NMDA receptors are a subtype of glutamate receptors.

This study is enrolling!

Genetic Prion Disease Biomarker Study

The study is designed to examine quantitative biomarkers that may help direct future clinical trials for Prion disease treatment and therapy by gathering data on prion protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and how levels vary over time. This is done in order to understand how well we could measure a drug-dependent reduction for future clinical drug trials. 

This study is open to enrollment! Please contact us if interested in participating.

Past Projects

AbbVie AWARE-Tau Antibody

AscenD-LB Study

Interdisciplinary Brain Center Gamepack

Insulin Resistance

Lifestyle Intervention for Early Alzheimer's Disease

Personalized Adaptive Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease (includes PACT-AD: MPH and PACT-AD: Niagen)

Pegasus Study

The study is designed to examine the safety & efficacy of a drug, ABBV-8E12, that targets the protein tau in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Research has shown that cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease may relate to levels of abnormal tau protein in their brains. Findings from this study may help us prevent or treat Alzheimer’s Disease by blocking the spread of tau protein in the brain. 

This study investigated the cognitive effects of the investigational drug Neflamapimod in people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Neflamapimod is thought to target inflammation in the brain which is thought to be a problem in people with DLB. Participants are evaluated on a variety of thinking tests throughout the study, while other objectives include: effects of Neflamapimod on motor function and quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) parameters.

We have developed a new set of digital, tablet-based games, such as Solitaire and Tetris™, that we hope to use as a tool to monitor people’s memory and thinking abilities; particularly in people with cognitive decline, mild dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. This study is designed to determine the efficacy of our Gamepack and if capturing data about a person’s daily performance on these games may improve our sensitivity for detecting changes in people’s cognitive abilities better than traditional cognitive testing, which is the current gold-standard.

Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease share many of the age-related problems that occur with type 2 diabetes, including insulin resistance, disrupted glucose metabolism, and oxidative and inflammatory stress.  Having type 2 diabetes greatly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.  As part of a collaborative project, ACTRU is looking at the key proteins involved in the regulation of insulin signaling in the brain, their activity, and how they may contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease susceptibility and progression.

Within the last 40 years, evidence has demonstrated that lifestyle changes may reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, early-stage prostate cancer, and other chronic conditions. These conditions all share similar underlying biological mechanisms, including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are also seen in Alzheimer’s disease.  Therefore, we are recruiting participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease to participate in a research study of a similar lifestyle intervention to see if lifestyle changes may slow down, lessen, or potentially reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Participants in this study will make changes to their diet, and participate in daily exercise, stress management, and group support.

PACT- AD: MPH: The goal of this study is to determine the effects of methylphenidate (MPH, also known as Ritalin) on the cognition, behavioral symptoms, and daily activity of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other related disorders using traditional office-based assessments as well as daily brain training games and Fitbit activity tracking.

PACT- AD: Niagen: The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of Nicotinamide Riboside (Also known as Niagen) on various biomarkers as well as cognition in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Subjective Cognitive Decline. This study uses traditional cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessments along with daily brain training games and Fitbit activity tracking.

This study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and target engagement of AMX0035 in subjects with mild cognitive impairment or probable Alzheimer’s Disease. Additional goals of the study include analyzing changes that can be seen in the blood, brain imaging, and fluid which surrounds the brain in order to better the efficacy of AMX0035 as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative dementia.