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NCR is excited to share the lastest news regarding one of the Alzheimer's medications we've been studying. On Friday, January 6, 2023, the FDA APPROVED LEQEMBI™ (LECANEMAB) UNDER THE ACCELERATED APPROVAL PATHWAY FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. Click here to learn more.

The Alzheimer’s Research Center at National Clinical Research

Developing Tomorrow’s Alzheimer’s Medications Today
 

Is your memory getting worse?

Have you noticed that your memory is not as good as it used to be? Many believe that memory loss is a natural part of aging.  However, if your memory loss is impacting your day to day activities, it could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.  Maybe it’s time to talk to a memory specialist and get tested. 

Sign up for a one-to-one, no-cost appointment with one of the doctors at the Alzheimer’s Research Center at National Clinical Research in Richmond.  During your visit, the doctor will teach you about Alzheimer’s, answer your questions,  tell you about our research program and test your memory.

OUR ALZHEIMER’S STUDIES

Click here to listen to a lecture from Dr. McKenney on the investigational medications we are testing (20 min)

Learn more about the Alzheimer’s medications and the research studies we are conducting:

Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

Brief Summary:

Scientists have learned that a build-up of amyloid plaque in the brain can contribute to the gradual destruction of brain cells and worsening memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors at NCR are conducting a study for adults who currently have no memory loss symptoms but may be at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease due to a buildup of amyloid plaque on the brain.

The study will evaluate a medication which removes this amyloid plaque to see if the onset of memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented or slowed. The study provides a complete medical evaluation (at no cost to the volunteer) including memory testing, a MRI evaluation, and a PET scan (to see if there is any amyloid plaque in the brain).

The study will continue for 4 years with routine visits throughout this time to receive medication and undergo further testing.

Age:

55 years or older

Key Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria:
  • Be 55 to 80 years old
  • If 55 to 65, the patient must have a first degree relative with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, or have a positive ApoE4, or have confirmed amyloid plaque in their brain.
  • Has no evidence of memory loss on testing
  • Has a person who could serve as a study partner by having at least weekly contract with the participant.
  • Has no history of strokes or seizures
  • Has had no major psychiatric disease in the past 2 yrs.
  • Is able to undergo an MRI (i.e. has no metal in their body which prohibits this scan).
Patient Commitment Duration:
  • Complete up to 5 visits over 90 days to determine whether the individual qualifies to participate in the study. This will include having a PET brain scan conducted to determine whether amyloid plaque is present.
  • Once qualified, the participant will return to the research center every two weeks to receive study medication for 18 months and thereafter once monthly for 30 months.
Patient Compensation:

You will be reimbursed for your participation.

Want to participate? Fill out the interest form! Click to Call Us!

Medications which seek to remove brain amyloid plaque

Background

Scientists have learned that a build-up of amyloid plaque in the brain is neurotoxic (which means it is bad for brain cells) causing brain cells to degenerate and die which leads to subsequent memory loss/dementia. We are conducting several studies to see if a study medication can remove the amyloid plaque present in the brain and  whether removing this plaque can either stop or slow the loss of memory.

Criteria to participate

Some of the criteria patients must satisfy to participate are:

  • Age between 50 and 85 years old
  • Have a study partner (i.e. someone who is with you for 8 hours or more each week and would be willing to come to the study center about twice a year with you)
  • Demonstrate a mild level of memory loss with testing
  • Have a positive PET (brain scan) for amyloid plaque
  • Able to have an MRI scan (that is no metal in your head or upper torso)
  • Has no medical conditions which may also cause memory loss (e.g. Parkinson’s, uncontrolled sleep apnea, and history or stroke)

About the Study

Once the study criteria are met, the patient will receive either the study medication or a placebo for the duration of the study; neither the patient nor the doctor will know which is assigned. The study medication is infused into a vein in your arm once or twice a month over about 1½ hours. During the study, MRI scans of the brain are repeated and once each year, an amyloid PET scan is conducted. The study will last 18 to 24 months. After completion of the main study, all patients are offered real medication (no placebo) for 2 years or until the medication is available on the market. There is no cost to the patient for medical care provided in the study nor for any of the scans, memory testing, or medication.

Current Studies

We are currently conducting the following studies with medications which seek to remove brain amyloid plaque

Study

Sponsor

Study medication

NCT number

Study Status
LAKD Lilly Remternetug Coming in July 2024
LAKF Lilly Remternetug Coming in Oct 2024
M22-721 AbbVie ABBV-916 Coming in Dec 2024
LAKC Lilly Remternetug NCR05463731 Closed to new patients
BAN301 Eisai Lecanemab NCR03887455 Closed to new patients
AACI Lilly Donanemab NCR05026866 Closed to new patients
221AD305 Biogen Aducanumab NCT05310071 Closed
AACG Lilly Donanemab NCT03367403 Closed
221AD301 Biogen Aducanumab NCT04241068 Closed
AACN Lilly  Donanemab NCT05108922 Closed
GRADUATE Roche Gantenerumab NCT03444870 Closed

You may use the NCT number to learn more about the study we are conducting by going to clinicaltrials.gov and entering the number in the search bar.

Medications to treat memory loss by other mechanisms

Background

Semaglutide is a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of diabetes and over-weight or obesity. In studies for these conditions, semaglutide and other medications like it have shown improved memory function, less build-up of brain plaque, and a reduction of inflammation in the body. All of these effects may be beneficial in patients with mild memory loss. This study is undertaken to demonstrate whether semaglutide can help patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Criteria to participate

Some of the criteria patients must satisfy to participate are:

  • Male or female between 55 and 85 years old
  • Have a study partner (i.e. someone who is with you for 8 hours or more each week and would be willing to come to the study center about twice a year with you)
  • Demonstrates mild memory loss with testing
  • Has a positive PET (brain scan) for amyloid plaque
  • Is able to have an MRI scan (e.g. no metal in your head or upper torso)
  • Has no medical conditions which may also cause memory loss (e.g. Parkinson’s, uncontrolled sleep apnea, and history or stroke)

 About the Study

Once the study criteria are met, the patient will receive either the study medication or a placebo for the duration of the study; neither the patient nor the doctor will know which is assigned. At the beginning of the study, MRI scans and an amyloid PET scan will be conducted. The study medication is taken once daily by mouth. The study will last for 2 to 3 years. There is no cost to the patient for medical care provided in the study nor for any of the scans, memory testing, or medication.

Current Studies

Study

Sponsor

Study medications

NCT number

Study Status
EVOKE Novo Nordisk semaglutide NCT04777409  Closed

Combination of Medications

Coming in the future

Medications which seek to stabilize tau protein

Background

Tau is a protein that helps stabilize the internal skeleton of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. This internal skeleton has a tube-like shape through which nutrients and other essential substances travel to reach different parts of the neuron. In Alzheimer’s disease, an abnormal form of tau builds up and causes the internal skeleton to fall apart.

These abnormal forms of tau protein cling to other tau proteins inside the neuron and form “tau tangles.” Tau tangles and beta-amyloid plaques — large accumulations of microscopic brain protein fragments that slow a person’s ability to think and remember — are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Tau accumulation has been shown to promote brain cell damage and death in Alzheimer’s and other dementias, including frontotemporal dementia, but the exact processes that lead to this toxicity are unclear.

Researchers are investigating ways to prevent tau protein from forming into tangles, which ultimately destroys the neuron. One potential therapy in clinical trials is creating humanized antibodies that targets abnormal tau proteins, preventing them from clumping together to form tangles and allowing the body’s immune system to remove them. This may help stop or slow the spread to healthy neurons, thus possibly slowing a patient’s memory decline from Alzheimer’s disease.

Criteria to participate

Some of the criteria patients must satisfy to participate are:

  • Age between 60 and 80 years old
  • Have a study partner (i.e. someone who is with you for 8 hours or more each week and would be willing to come to the study center about twice a year with you)
  • Demonstrate a mild level of memory loss with testing
  • Have a positive PET (brain scan) for Tau
  • Able to have an MRI scan (that is no metal in your head or upper torso)
  • Has no medical conditions which may also cause memory loss (e.g. Parkinson’s, uncontrolled sleep apnea, and history or stroke)

About the Study

Once the study criteria are met, the patient will receive either the study medication or a placebo for the duration of the study; neither the patient nor the doctor will know which is assigned. The study medication is infused into a vein in your arm once a month. During the study, MRI scans of the brain are repeated and throughout the study and additional tau PET scans are conducted. The study will last approximately 21months. After completion of the main study, patients may be given the opportunity to enroll in an extension study and offered real medication.  There is no cost to the patient for medical care provided in the study nor for any of the scans, memory testing, or medication.

Current Studies

We are currently conducting the following studies with medications which seek to stabilize tau protein

Study

Sponsor

Study medication

NCT number

Study Status
CN0080003 BMS BMS-986446 NCT06268886 Coming in May 2024

You may use the NCT number to learn more about the study we are conducting by going to clinicaltrials.gov and entering the number in the search bar.

How do you know if you are experiencing early signs of memory loss or Alzheimer’s Disease? The best way, and the way it is done in our research studies, is to undergo 2-3 hours of memory (cognitive) testing using multiple instruments by a memory specialist or a neuropsychologist. But most of us just want a quick and easy way to figure out whether we have anything to worry about.

To try to get a quick read on whether you may be having memory issues, take the test at this link. 

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No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

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Please use the following form to contact us for general inquiries. If you are interested in a clinical trial, please complete our interest form.

By providing my phone number to “National Clinical Research”, I agree and acknowledge that “National Clinical Research” may send text messages to my wireless phone number for any purpose. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary, and you will be able to Opt-out by replying “STOP”. For more information on how your data will be handled, please see our privacy policy below:

No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

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CALL NOW: 804-755-2300
COMPLETE AN INTEREST FORM
TAKE A MEMORY TEST

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S

Download a copy of our brochure – The Latest on Alzheimer’s Disease
Listen to a lecture from Dr. McKenney on the Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease (15 min)
View a NPR NOVA program on: Can Alzheimer’s be Stopped (53 min)

Alzheimer’s Research Center
National Clinical Research, Inc
2809 Emerywood Parkway, Suite 140
Richmond, VA 23294
804-755-2300