ATRI's Dr. Michael Rafii recently published a Viewpoint about the ethical imperative to conduct clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease in people with Down Syndrome in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the commentary, Dr. Rafii discusses the critical need for clinical trials of the recently approved treatments for Alzheimer's disease in people with Down Syndrome.
The piece highlights the lack of clinical trials targeting Alzheimer's disease in people with Down Syndrome. Specifically, it states that while people with Down Syndrome have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's than the general population, they are often excluded from clinical trials because of pre-existing intellectual disability. This exclusionary practice limits our ability to develop effective treatments for Alzheimer's in this population that is genetically predosposed to develop Alzhiemer's disease, raising significant ethical concerns.
Dr. Rafii's piece also discusses the ongoing work of the Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium – Down Syndrome (ACTC-DS). This international collaboration was established with the goal of developing effective treatments for Alzheimer's in people with Down Syndrome. The consortium brings together academic centers and industry partners to conduct clinical trials specifically designed for this population which represents the world’s largest group of people with genetically-defined Alzheimer’s disease.