New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 6 million Americans. Until recently, treatment focused on managing symptoms. New amyloid-targeting drugs that slow disease progression are now approved, marking a shift in how doctors approach early-stage Alzheimer's.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing drugs that target amyloid plaques, tau tangles, inflammation, and metabolism. Lecanemab and donanemab are approved anti-amyloid antibodies that slow early decline by several months. Researchers are also studying combination treatments, earlier intervention in people without symptoms, and approaches for advanced disease where current drugs don't work.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on disease stage (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia), confirmed amyloid pathology, and often exclusion of other causes of cognitive problems.

What types of trials are currently open

• Anti-amyloid trials — Testing antibodies or other drugs that clear amyloid plaques from the brain. Most require confirmed amyloid on PET scan or blood test and focus on early-stage disease.
• Anti-tau trials — Testing drugs that target tau tangles, which form inside brain cells and track closely with symptoms. Some studies combine anti-tau with anti-amyloid drugs.
• Prevention trials — Treating people with biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's but no cognitive symptoms, to see if early treatment prevents decline.
• Symptom trials — Testing drugs for thinking, mood, behavior, and daily function in people with mild to moderate dementia.
• Observational studies — Following people over time to understand how Alzheimer's progresses, what factors affect risk, and how biomarkers change before symptoms appear.