Diabetes and ADHD drugs to be tested on Alzheimer's patients in new study
A new UK clinical trial, AD-SMART, is testing whether repurposed diabetes and ADHD medications can effectively treat Alzheimer's disease. The study uses a multi-arm platform design to test multiple drugs simultaneously to accelerate potential breakthroughs.
Why it matters
Repurposing existing drugs could significantly shorten the timeline for finding effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
By Fergus Walsh Medical editor Published 58 minutes ago A clinical trial has been launched in the UK which scientists hope could cut years from the search for new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
It will test multiple drugs simultaneously, starting with two repurposed medicines already used to treat type 2 diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The study will examine whether the drugs can lessen symptoms such as memory and thinking problems, and help people maintain their quality of life.
Angela Bucksey, 67, from Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in January and is the first person to begin treatment on the trial, called AD-SMART.
"We have Alzheimer's in the family," she told the BBC.
"My mother had it and my aunts, so it was a disappointment rather than a shock when I was diagnosed because I knew it would restrict my life.
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