The Expedition 3 Alzheimer’s disease study, evaluating a potential new treatment for patients with mild Alzheimer’s, is underway! I first wrote about this exciting clinical trial in early November 2013. As clinical trials go, this study was fairly complex to set up, but the team was assembled by late December and now all systems are go!
The treatment being tested is solanezumab. The clinical trial is designed to determine if solanezumab treatment can slow the progression of the physical changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Research Center enrolled the first Expedition 3 study volunteer December 30 and administered the first treatment dose 3 ½ weeks later. Dr. Richard Lafrance, recently retired from Clinic practice and currently a part-time neurohospitalist, will continue to serve as the study’s principle investigator. Neurologists Dr. Cecelia Keller and Dr. Shelly Svoboda are also involved with the research project.
At this point the Research Center has spoken with many potential volunteers and/or their family members about the study. Virtually everyone, even patients who have chosen not to participate , express their fervent hope that the Expedition 3 study provides a breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This hope was best expressed by a study volunteer’s family member who stated that if the disease could be halted now, while it is still mild, he and his wife could have a good life.
The hard part of course, is that we must be patient – we won’t know the results of the study for a few more years. If you are interested in learning more about the Expedition 3 study, contact Josh at the Clinical Research Center at 541-754-1398, option 7, or send an email to research@corvallisclinic.com.
– Julie Carrico is Associate Coordinator of The Corvallis Clinic Clinical Research Center
