MIAMI, Fla. – Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
More than five million people are living with it. By 2050, experts predict that number will rise to 14 million. Treatments have been historically difficult to come by, with just one new drug approved in the past two decades. Now, researchers are testing an investigational drug for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
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Cindy Raucci loves to work out. It keeps her body and mind healthy. Since her dementia diagnosis six years ago, her husband, Frank, is with her around the clock, and every day, the simple things get harder.
Raucci and her family are constantly searching for new therapies that might stop her decline. Raucci participated in one clinical trial in the past.
“I could tell it [the medicine] was helping her, and after they closed the study down, we were, then, informed that she was actually getting the drug,” Cindy’s husband, Frank explained.
Premier Research Institute neurologist, Paul Winner said, “Lately, in research, we have been using anti-body therapy to remove amyloid and tau, and they are showing us some benefit.”
Dr. Winner is now involved in another trial, the Lift- Alzheimer’s disease, or LIFT-AD, clinical trial. Researchers are testing an investigational drug, known now as ATH 1017, which is a small injection that patients take at home. The goal is to slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s on patients with mild to moderate symptoms.
“In the future, depending on the time that we make the diagnosis, we will use different medicines at different times,” Dr. Winner mentioned.
Right now, the Rauccis are doing everything in their power to keep Cindy’s mind active, and they hope that scientists will find something that stops the progression before it’s too late.
“I worry about how it will be 5 years from now, or 3 years from now,” Frank added.
The LIFT-AD trial is continuing to enroll patients until October. Researchers expect the first results from the trial in about a year. For more information about the trial, click here.