Okanagan Clinical Trials part of global study for new Alzheimer’s treatment

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Speaking with Vernon Matters, Christie said researchers around the world have been trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, and it’s recently been found that there are three main areas that drugs could target to help fight off the disease.

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“What we do know is that we’re probably going to have to treat Alzheimer’s disease in a multi-factorial way. So you’re probably thinking 10 20 years down the line we’re going to treat different stages of it with different types of medication,” said Christie.

She added that studies are underway to research the buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, as both have been linked to the disease.

Other studies, including this one, are looking at the inflammatory side of Alzheimer’s, and whether the medication can help with blood flow through the brain.

These studies will all be compiled and tested further to see if any combination could be used to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

Christie told Vernon Matters that, in order to conduct the study, they need volunteers.

The Kelowna-based company is one of nearly 200 research clinics around the world testing this drug’s ability to stave off Alzheimer’s. The trial requires approximately 1,800 participants around the world, but locally, Okanagan Clinical Trials needs about 15 to 20 people to participate.

“We’re looking for people that are staring to feel like they’re having some memory problems, that’s all that you really need in order to get involved with this study to start,” said Christie.

“For this particular study we’re looking for people that are starting to feel like their memory is declining, maybe you notice it or your spouse or someone else in your family notices it’s just not quite what it used to be. That’s a good sign to maybe get involved in a clinical research study and we can start trying to investigate what’s going on.”

The study involves volunteers taking the oral medication once a day for three years. The participants will be brought in to the clinic 17 times over the period of the study for testing.

Half the volunteers will be given a placebo to ensure the study is properly managed. Participants will also be able to opt out of the trial at any time.

Christie adds that all costs associated with the test will be covered by the clinic.

“We cover everything from anybody who has to travel to the site, your transportation costs to get here to participate, so people in Vernon [who] need transportation and need to get here, we would cover that, as well as to do any of the diagnostic scanning that is involved, we would cover travel costs for that as well; and we would cover people’s time for being involved in the study.”

She notes that the medication is already being used in Canada to treat Type 2 Diabetes and has been deemed safe, though does add that the clinic will cover any costs associated with unforseen adverse events related to taking the medication.

People who wish to get involved in the study can visit the Okanagan Clinical Trials website or call 250-862-8141.