UK dementia clinical trial participation set to boost by ‘tens of thousands’

The new Dementia Trials Accelerator is set to receive £20m of government funding

The Dementia Trials Accelerator, led by the UK Dementia Research Institute and Health Data Research UK and funded by the Medical Research Council, will receive £20m of government funding to increase UK participation in dementia clinical trials from 61 in 2021 to 2022 to “tens of thousands”.

With promising treatments for neurodegenerative conditions on the horizon, revolutionising the clinical trial infrastructure is crucial to ensure widespread access and overcome the historically low enrolment in dementia trials.

Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, commented: “Today’s research is tomorrow’s care. By harnessing cutting-edge technology and the power of health data, the Dementia Trials Accelerator will unite industry, academic and clinical expertise from around the UK to significantly boost our ability to run efficient, large-scale trials, giving more people quicker access to potentially life-changing treatments.”

The initiative aims to swiftly identify individuals at risk of early-stage dementia for expanded participation in accessible clinical trials, playing a vital role in scaling up these trials to expedite access to treatments.

The Dementia Trials Accelerator will also aim to accelerate the development of new dementia treatments and address recruitment challenges, as often nearly 80% of potential volunteers are excluded.

“Late-stage clinical trials are an essential and necessary step towards knowing whether new medicines are safe and effective,” said Nadeem Sarwar, Co-Chair of the government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, which is supporting the initiative. “It is critical that we identify ways of doing more, faster and bigger pivotal dementia trials in the UK: first, to accelerate getting new medicines tested and approved for patients; and second, to attract life sciences investment into the UK.”