Recommendations to address key recruitment challenges of Alzheimer's disease clinical trials

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trials face significant hurdles in participant enrollment, duration, and cost compared to other therapeutic areas.
• Key barriers include recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified and diverse volunteers for AD research.
• These challenges impede the timely completion of clinical studies and the development of new AD treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess critical challenges in Alzheimer's disease clinical trial recruitment.
• To develop actionable and inclusive recommendations to overcome these recruitment barriers.
• To accelerate the development of novel therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

Main Methods:

• Convened an expert advisory panel in 2020 with diverse representation (academia, patient advocacy, government, industry).
• Reviewed existing challenges in AD clinical research participant recruitment and retention.
• Discussed feasibility and implications of panel-generated recommendations for AD clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Identified significant barriers to participant enrollment and retention in AD clinical trials.
• Proposed a set of recommendations from a multidisciplinary expert panel.
• Highlighted the need for actionable and inclusive solutions to accelerate AD research.

Conclusions:

• Addressing recruitment and retention challenges is crucial for successful AD clinical trials.
• Expert recommendations offer a pathway to overcome barriers and speed up therapeutic development.
• Implementing inclusive strategies can enhance diversity and efficiency in AD research.