A new UK clinical trial called AD-SMART has launched to test repurposed diabetes and ADHD medications simultaneously on Alzheimer’s patients to speed up treatment discovery. [1] (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye4v721nwo)
Key Details of the Trial
• Trial Name: AD-SMART (Alzheimer’s disease Systematic Multi-arm Adaptive Randomised Trial) [1] (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/alzheimers-treatments-clinical-trial-adsmart-andy-burnham-b3070907.html)
• Initial Drugs Tested:
• Metformin (used for type 2 diabetes)
• Atomoxetine (used for ADHD) [1] (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye4v721nwo)
• How It Works: It is a multi-arm, multi-stage platform trial testing multiple treatments at the same time against a placebo group. Ineffective drugs can be dropped quickly and new treatments added. [1] (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye4v721nwo)
• Goal: To check if the drugs can reduce brain inflammation, lessen memory and thinking problems, and help patients maintain their quality of life. [1] (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye4v721nwo)
• Timeline: Evaluation of the first group of drugs is expected to finish around 2030. [1] (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlye4v721nwo)
• Leadership & Funding: Led by the UK Dementia Research Institute and Alzheimer’s Research UK, with government and partner backing. Active open sites include locations in Cambridgeshire, Surrey, London, Southampton, and Edinburgh.