Two new clinical trials aimed at treating Alzheimer’s disease are starting up at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Both trials use existing drugs for two very different conditions. The first trial will look at the effects of a bone cancer drug in those living with mild cognitive impairment.
Dr. Marwan Sabbagh is a behavioral neurologist at Barrow’s Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Program.
“We're specifically doing it because this drug reduces inflammation in the brain of people with Alzheimer's, which we know is a major change that occurs once you develop Alzheimer's," Sabbagh said.
The second trial involves using a drug to treat multiple sclerosis.
“This is a drug that has been around for years now for MS. So we're thinking, ‘well, if you can reprogram the immune system for MS, why don't we try this in Alzheimer's disease?’”
He says repurposing drugs for one condition to another is a very common practice.
“We’re trying it because we think there are overlapping mechanism, scientific mechanism that says, ‘OK, well, this mechanism is seen in one disease, but we also see similar mechanisms in a different disease.’ Let's try it there.”
Sabbagh says for that trial, they’re looking for participants who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He also says patients who are on intravenous Alzheimer’s therapies like Leqembi can also participate in this study.
Barrow is recruiting participants ages 50-90 diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Members of the public interested in learning more about participating in these trials can call 602-406-6889.
