Oregon Health & Science University is among several centers across the country involved in a clinical trial testing a promising new antibody to prevent Alzheimer's disease before symptoms develop.
The AHEAD study is the first-ever clinical trial to test the effect of the antibody lecanemab in people who have no cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's but have discovered through brain imaging the presence of a type of protein called amyloid that's often associated with the disease. The study is testing people as young as 55 who are at risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer's as they get older.
"If we can detect it and treat it early, we believe we'll have a better chance of fighting it," said Aimee Pierce, M.D., an associate professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine who is leading the OHSU clinical trial testing lecanemab in the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
Barbara Klausman, 76, of Vancouver, Washington, is among the participants who have committed to coming in for regular infusions on a monthly or biweekly basis for four years.
"I'm really interested in someday having somebody find a cure for Alzheimer's," she said. "It's an awful disease."
Klausman's mother had Alzheimer's, as did her aunt. She has two daughters in their 50s, and she hopes that by participating in this clinical trial, she helps to advance scientific discovery so that Alzheimer's can be prevented in the next generation.
"I don't want them to ever worry about having Alzheimer's," she said.
Klausman recently shared her experience in stories that aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting and KGW-TV in Portland.
