Key facts
- A new clinical trial, PrevenTRON, is testing the drug Trontinemab to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- The trial will enroll healthy middle-aged individuals (55-80) with elevated p-tau217 biomarkers but no memory loss.
- Trontinemab, developed by Roche, targets and clears amyloid plaques in the brain.
- Previous research indicated Trontinemab cleared amyloid plaques in 90% of early-stage Alzheimer's patients.
- The trial is international, recruiting approximately 1,600 people globally.
- The Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS foundation trust is leading recruitment in the UK.
A new clinical trial, named PrevenTRON, is set to investigate whether an experimental drug can prevent Alzheimer's disease before symptoms manifest. The trial, led by the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS foundation trust as part of an international effort, will recruit approximately 1,600 individuals aged 55 to 80 globally. Participants will be screened to ensure they have no memory problems but possess elevated levels of p-tau217, a biomarker indicating a higher risk of cognitive decline.
The drug being tested, Trontinemab, developed by Roche, targets and aims to clear amyloid plaques in the brain, a key characteristic of Alzheimer's. Early research suggested Trontinemab was effective in clearing these plaques in a significant majority of patients with early-stage Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment.
Professor Ramin Nilforooshan, the chief investigator, highlighted the shift in research focus from treating the disease after symptoms appear to preventing it. He emphasized that Trontinemab is an investigational medicine and its efficacy in prevention is yet to be determined.
The trial is expected to last four to six years, with participants randomly assigned to receive either Trontinemab or a placebo. Alzheimer's disease is known to develop in the brain up to a decade before memory problems become apparent, affecting a substantial portion of the elderly population.