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The Division of Neuroscience launched the ADCS in 1991 to facilitate the testing of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, particularly drugs that might not otherwise be tested by industry. A consortium of academic medical centers and clinics collaborating on the development of Alzheimer’s treatments and diagnostic tools, the ADCS is coordinated by the University of California, San Diego under an NIA cooperative agreement. Made up of more than 70 research sites in the United States and Canada, the ADCS investigates promising interventions. In January 2013, the NIA renewed its support of the effort for the next 5 years.
ADCS clinical trials focus on interventions that may benefit people across the disease spectrum, from the detection of Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in people free of symptoms to the treatment of agitation in people with Alzheimer’s dementia. This includes the testing of:
- Drugs that lack patent protection
- Drugs under patent protection that are already marketed for other uses but which might prove useful for treating people with Alzheimer's disease
- Novel compounds developed by individuals, academia, and pharmaceutical and small biotech companies
In addition to testing new therapies, the ADCS develops new evaluation instruments for clinical trials and innovative approaches to Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial design and analysis. The ADCS emphasizes collaboration and data sharing among its partner sites and with other research institutions.
A major component of the Division of Neuroscience’s Alzheimer’s Disease Translational Research Program, the ADCS is seeding drug development and increasing the number of promising therapies tested in people at the earliest stages of the disease, when treatment may be most effective. To date, the ADCS has conducted 30 studies (23 drug trials and seven instrument development studies). It also provides infrastructure support to other NIA-funded clinical efforts, such as the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN).
For more information about the ADCS, including currently recruiting clinical trials, visit www.adcs.org .
| Trials | Status |
|---|---|
| A4 Trial | Enrollment completed |
| NOBLE (T-817MA) Trial | Enrollment completed |
| SNIFF Trial | Enrollment temporarily suspended |
| Connect (AZD0530) Trial | Enrolling |
| Exert (exercise in MCI) Trial | Enrollment to be announced |
| Prazosin for Treating Agitation Trial | Enrollment to be announced |
| CSF Pharmacodynamic Trial | Enrollment to be announced |
| Resveratrol for Alzheimer’s Disease | Enrollment completed |
| CERE-110 in Subjects with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease | Enrollment completed |
| Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIg) for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease | Enrollment completed |
| Home-Based Assessment Study | Enrollment completed |
| Trials | Status/Results |
|---|---|
| RAGE Inhibitor (RI) Trial | Completion date TBD |
| Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA) in Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 2010 |
| Antioxidants in Alzheimer’s Disease (Vitamins E and C, Alpha-lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q) | Completed in 2012 |
| Huperzine A in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 2011 |
| Valproate to Delay Agitation or Psychosis in Alzheimer's Disease | Completed in 2011 |
| Supplements to Reduce Homocysteine and Slow Cognitive Decline (Vitamins B6 and B12, Folic Acid) | Completed in 2008 |
| Simvastatin to Treat Alzheimer's Disease | Completed in 2011 |
| Quetiapine for Agitation or Psychosis in Dementia and Parkinsonism | Completed in 2007 |
| Improved Assessment Measures for Primary Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Trials | Completion date TBD |
| Valproate for the Treatment of Agitation in Dementia | Completed in 2005 |
| Rofecoxib or Naproxen to Slow Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 2003 |
| Normal Control | Completion date TBD |
| Vitamin E or Donepezil to Treat Mild Cognitive Impairment | Completed in 2005 |
| Melatonin for Sleep Disturbance in Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 2003 |
| Estrogen Replacement Therapy to Treat Women with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 2000 |
| Effect of Prednisone on Rate of Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s | Completed in 2000 |
| Haloperidol, Trazodone, and Behavior Management to Treat Agitation in Alzheimer’s | Completed in 2000 |
| Evaluation of Treatment Efficacy Instruments Trial (English and Spanish) | Completed in 1997 ( Ref. 1 ; Ref. 2 ) |
| Selegiline and Vitamin E to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease | Completed in 1997 |
See a list of all published ADCS study results (NIH PubMed) »