This year’s Date with a Cure research forum provided a number of insights about the latest research and advancements that can help the dementia community now and in the near future. We appreciate the researchers who offered their expertise for this forum: Dr. James Brewer, Dr. Jerold Chun, Dr. Douglas Galasko, Dr. Hector M. González, Dr. Doris Molina-Henry, Dr. Michael Plopper, and Dr. Sherry Soefje.

Key Takeaways

  • FDA has endorsed the approval of Lilly’s Donanemab
    • Anti-amyloid medication that will provide more options for early stage patients
    • Not yet available outside of clinical trials; the expectation is that the eligibility will be similar to lecanemab (Leqembi)
    • New biomarkers, amyloid and tau, have pushed the field forward quickly
  • Regarding blood tests, the most promising blood based biomarker is p-tau 217 – it’s not FDA approved yet but companies are offering it as an option; under development for full range of use
  • Use of Artificial Intelligence in research
    • It’s been used for years for imaging; helps see which structures are most affected by the disease
    • There’s been progress in segmenting brain structures and measuring them
    • FDA is now allowing  imore AI related advancements
  • Lecanemab (Leqembi) research updates
    • Hope that there will be a subcutaneous form by 2025 and that it will be available at pharmacies for people to self administer
    • Studied in clinical trials for 18 months and there was a 25-35% reduction in progression of the disease
  • Clinical trials are not just about testing pharmaceuticals, they can be symptom based, behavior based, lifestyle based, and more
  • AHEAD study: Big trial that is for asymptomatic people; people are enthusiastic to join the study and help even though they have no memory change
  • Differences in research for the Latino community
    • Not much amyloid found or much APOE4 gene correlation
    • Vascular dementia is more common than Alzheimer’s disease
    • Diabetes is a big issue in this community, and it doubles the risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

To hear more in-depth details about each of these takeaways and the other topics discussed, watch the full Date with a Cure 2024 webinar here:

View our clinical trials page and clinicaltrials.gov to find opportunities in San Diego to participate in. Check out all of our free services and call 858.492.4400 to talk to one of our dementia experts who can walk you through any questions you have.

By Braulio Ambriz

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Posted on June 24th, 2024