Great Lakes Clinical Trials is proud to announce the initiation of an exciting new clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of an investigational medication for preventing progression to Alzheimer's disease.
Steve Satek, President of Great Lakes Clinical Trials, speaks frequently across the Chicagoland area on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease research:
"Many local seniors approach me, asking what they can do to help win the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Financial donations to groups like the Alzheimer's Association do a great deal to help support research activities, however the only way we will every find the first medication to prevent, cure or simply slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease is through the clinical trial process. That means we have an immediate need for senior volunteers to participate in studies to assess whether these medications are safe and effective.
I find that many people don’t fully understand the meaning of prevention studies and don’t know how to get involved. Our biggest challenge is getting the word out about these studies. Once they hear about these programs, and visit our state-of-the-art clinic, they become very motived – particularly seniors who have a history of Alzheimer’s in their family. If seniors don’t participate now to help find a cure, then the burden of studying these new medications simply gets passed down generations, to their children and grandchildren – and meanwhile, more and more seniors will continue to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The time to act is now."
The new Alzheimer’s disease prevention study at Great Lakes Clinical Trials is called the “EARLY Trial”. You can learn more about this program by visiting the study website at www.earlytrial.com.
The Alzheimer’s Association has reported that Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and that 1-in-3 seniors will die of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. It is also important to note, that beside the emotional burden placed on family caregivers, it is estimated that family caregivers spend over $5,000 a year caring for their loved one. For some families, this means missing a vacation, but for many others, it may mean going hungry. So, there is a clear, urgent need to find a prevention or even a way to slow down the disease.
Satek added:
"The way I explain Alzheimer’s prevention trials, is that we first need to engage motivated, generally healthy seniors, typically over the age of 60, who are currently not experiencing any memory problems. In addition to ensuring safety through medical exams and assessments of memory and cognition, we provide an investigational medication or a placebo (an inactive substance like a sugar pill) to these patients and follow them closely for several years. Over time, we can determine if the investigational mediation is working better than the placebo to prevent or slow down the progression to Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s important to note that participation in our research studies is always at no financial cost to our patients, including all doctor visits, exams and tests. We do not bill insurance or Medicare. Great Lakes Clinical Trials is located on the ground floor with direct street-level access - very conveneint for seniors. We even have free parking and we provide free transportation for some of our trials."
If you are interested in learning more about the different types of research studies offered by Great Lakes Clinical Trials, you can view our current study list by clicking here or you can always call our patient care representatives by calling (773) 275-3500.