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Why UCSF researchers think 1 Alzheimer’s drug may not be enough
San Francisco Chronicle • • health
Key Points:
- UCSF has initiated a nationwide clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease testing a combination therapy approach, enrolling 825 participants across over 70 U.S. centers, focusing on individuals with no or very early symptoms.
- The trial targets two key proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s—amyloid beta and tau—using three groups: one receiving an amyloid drug, one an experimental tau drug, and one both, aiming to assess if combined treatment is more effective.
- This multipronged approach reflects a shift in Alzheimer’s research, inspired by successes in cancer and HIV treatments, addressing the complexity of the disease by targeting multiple pathways simultaneously.
- Participants aged 50-80 will be selected based on blood tests indicating high levels of amyloid and tau, with all receiving active treatment and undergoing scans to monitor protein changes during the trial.
- Experts highlight this trial as a transformative step in Alzheimer’s research, recognizing current drugs as initial advances that may not be definitive cures but represent progress toward meaningful disease management.
