The members of the Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease (AMYPAD) initiative reached a significant milestone this month with the enrolment of the 500th research participant in its Prognostic and Natural History Study (PNHS). In this clinical study, the aim of the researchers is to understand the role of amyloid imaging in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, in order to increase the chances of successful secondary prevention trials. The study recruits individuals suspected of possible Alzheimer’s disease from various ongoing European parent cohorts.
According to Dr. José Luis Molinuevo, the Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program of the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC),"Having reached 500 research participants in the AMYPAD Prognostic Natural History Study is without doubt a major milestone. This represents one of the biggest European cohorts to study the role of amyloid PET imaging in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease”.
Recruitment started in late 2018 and is expected to continue until late 2021. 503 participants have been enrolled so far in 7 European countries (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK), of which 372 have been scanned. The PNHS will recruit up to 2,000 participants and follow half of them longitudinally within the next 2 years. This study was designed to evaluate the additional value of quantitative amyloid imaging in determining Alzheimer’s disease dementia risk based on quantitative PET amyloid imaging measures, with or without other biomarkers.
The AMYPAD project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 115952. The Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.
