Diabetes and ADHD drugs tested on Alzheimer's patients in UK trial

Summarised from BBC News's report · Updated 22 Oct, 06:14 · Archive

A clinical trial in the UK has begun testing diabetes and ADHD drugs on Alzheimer's patients to find new treatments for the disease.

A clinical trial called AD-SMART has launched in the UK to test multiple drugs simultaneously on Alzheimer's patients, starting with repurposed medicines already used for type 2 diabetes and ADHD. The study aims to examine whether the drugs can lessen symptoms such as memory and thinking problems and help people maintain quality of life. Scientists hope the simultaneous testing approach will cut years from the search for new treatments.

Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia, affecting around 600,000 people in the UK. Angela Bucksey, 67, from Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in January and is the first person to begin treatment on the trial. She told the BBC she felt empowered joining the trial because "at least you are doing something" rather than "just sitting there".

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• Diabetes and ADHD drugs to be tested on Alzheimer's patients in new studyDrugs will be tested simultaneously, which it's hoped will speed up the process of finding new treatments for this common type of dementia.BBC News · 22 Oct, 00:02

In this story: AD-SMART · Angela Bucksey · Cambridgeshire · UK · BBC News

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