A new clinical trial is recruiting approximately 1,600 asymptomatic participants aged 55 to 80 from around the world to test whether an experimental medication can prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing. The PrevenTRON study, led by the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS foundation trust, represents a shift in research methodology toward disease prevention rather than treatment after symptoms have appeared.
Participants will first undergo screening to confirm they have no memory problems, followed by blood tests to identify whether they carry p-tau217, a biomarker associated with cognitive decline. Previous research indicated that individuals with the highest levels of p-tau217 had an estimated 78% chance of developing cognitive impairment within 10 years. Blood tests measuring p-tau217 have also demonstrated the ability to identify Alzheimer’s disease with up to 95% accuracy.
The investigational drug, trontinemab, was developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche and works by targeting amyloid plaques, toxic proteins that accumulate in the brain and damage neural cells. Early research showed the medication cleared amyloid plaques in nine out of 10 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive decline within 28 weeks.
The trial is structured as a phase III study in which participants will be randomly assigned to receive either trontinemab or a placebo and monitored to track the development of dementia symptoms. The study is expected to continue for four to six years. At least 15 hospitals and clinics across the UK are anticipated to participate by the end of the year. Researchers emphasize that Alzheimer’s disease may develop internally for up to 10 years before individuals typically seek treatment for memory problems, affecting approximately one in 14 people over age 65 and one in six over age 80.
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