Clinical Trials at the Center for Alzheimer Disease & Related Disorders

Clinical Trials at the Center for Alzheimer Disease & Related Disorders

Recent Press Releases about clinical trials available through the Center in Springfield, Illinois

May 25, 2005

National Clinical Trial for Alzheimer’s Disease Underway at SIU Med School

A national Alzheimer's disease clinical drug trial is being conducted at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and its Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (CADRD) in Springfield. The phase II trial of the investigational drug, ONO-2506PO, is looking at the benefits and side effects of the drug in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

"This study may help patients with Alzheimer’s disease because the goal is to see if this drug can decrease inflammation associated with the disease and thereby protect brain function," said Dr. Dennis Q. McManus, associate professor of neurology, a member of SIU’s CADRD and director of the study.

Volunteers between the ages of 50 and 90 years of age are being sought. They should be in generally good health or have stable medical conditions and have caregivers who have regular contact with participants. Individuals currently taking Aricept or Exelon may be eligible to participate and able to continue taking their current medication. Each participant will receive a physical examination and other tests before beginning and during 11 follow-up visits over 52 weeks. There is no charge to the participants for the tests and medications related to the study, which is sponsored by ONO Pharma USA. Results can be shared with the participant's personal physician when they are available.

For more information on these trials, contact Linda Read, R.N., 217-545-8034 weekdays.

SIU's Alzheimer Center in Springfield is made up of a team of specialists who use a variety of diagnostic techniques to provide a comprehensive evaluation because no single test or examination can yield a definite diagnosis. SIU uses a network of 26 primary provider sites serving 93 counties as part of its Springfield-based center.

The SIU Alzheimer Center uses a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-DIAL-SIU (1-800-342-5748). The Center’s web site is www.siumed.edu/cadrd/.

SIU Med School Participates In National Alzheimer's Disease

Probable Alzheimer's disease patients are being recruited by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield as part of a national study of valproate, an anti-seizure drug, underway at 35 U.S. sites. The study hopes to determine if the drug is effective in delaying, weakening or even preventing difficult behaviors in people with early to middle stage Alzheimer’s disease and whether it slows the progression of symptoms of the disease itself. The drug is being evaluated by SIU's psychiatry and neurology departments as part of a study funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

"This medication has been around for 40 years, used successfully to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder, and now may provide new hope for those with Alzheimer’s disease," said Sandra Vicari, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU who is directing the study, along with Dr. Tom Ala, assistant professor of neurology.

Volunteers between the ages of 55 and 90 are being sought for the study, which is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study . Each participant will receive a physical examination and other tests before beginning and during the 12 follow-up visits which will take place over 26 months. Some study participants will be selected to get regular MRI scans. There is no charge to the participants for the tests and medications related to the study, which is sponsored by the Alzheimer Disease Cooperative study, based at the University of California, San Diego. Results will be shared with the participant's personal physician.

If you are interested in participating in the study, call John Busciacco, SIU's Department of Psychiatry, 217-545-7626 weekdays.

November 16, 2004

Five National Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease Underway at SIU Med School

Five national Alzheimer's disease clinical drug trials are being conducted at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and its Center for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (CADRD) in Springfield.

Three of the trials are directed by Dr. Dennis McManus, associate professor of neurology and a member of SIU's CADRD. Each looks at the benefits and side effects of a specific drug in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

The three trials are - a phase III trial of Alzhemed from Neurochem, Inc.; a phase II trial of a drug, NS 2330 from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and a phase II trial of a drug, ONO-2506PO, from ONO Pharma USA. For more information on these trials, contact Linda Read, R.N., 217-545-8034 weekdays.

Two trials, joint projects of SIU's neurology and psychiatry departments, are directed by Dr. Tom Ala, associate professor of neurology, also a member of CADRD, with Sandra Vicari, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry. Both are coordinated by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

One study is testing the drug, quetiapine, to see if it will help treat the behavioral problems of people who have dementia along with symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The second is testing whether taking high-dose supplements of vitamins B6, B12 and folate will slow the disease progress by lowering the homocysteine levels in Alzheimer's patients. An amino acid in the blood, homocysteine is an indicator of vascular health. For more information on these trials, contact Sue Urish, R.N., 217-545-7626 or Summer Allen, L.P.N., 217-545-7263 weekdays.

The SIU Alzheimer Center uses a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-DIAL-SIU (1-800-342-5748). The Center’s web site is www.siumed.edu/cadrd/.

Updated 16 August 2005