The third session of Dementias Platform UK’s (DPUK) Translation 2025 conference, recorded on 14th March 2025 at The Congress Centre, London, focused on developments in clinical trial methodologies for Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of equitable trial delivery. The session began with Professor John Gallacher of the University of Oxford presenting awards for the poster competition, recognising early career researchers Abdul Wafi Ali from Swansea University and DRE Three Rata from the University of Oxford.
Professor Vanessa Raymont introduced the session, highlighting challenges in global clinical trial inclusivity. She stressed the imbalance in Alzheimer’s trials, primarily centred in North America and Europe, and underlined the necessity for broadening participation to better reflect global populations.
Professor Cath Mummery from UCL delivered the keynote speech, outlining recent progress in Alzheimer’s treatments, particularly around amyloid reduction therapies. Despite significant advancements, Professor Mummery emphasised the early stage of these developments, pointing to the need for further innovations, especially in combination therapies and treatments targeting tau protein. She discussed novel approaches such as gene silencing and active transport mechanisms designed to improve treatment delivery and reduce side effects.
Professor Paresh Malhotra from Imperial College London presented efforts to establish a UK-based Alzheimer’s disease platform trial, stressing the benefits of such platforms in testing multiple treatments simultaneously and efficiently. He discussed the selection process for initial drugs, highlighting metformin and atomoxetine as the first candidates for this innovative approach.
Addressing the issue of inclusivity, Professor Charles Marshall from Queen Mary University of London spoke about underrepresentation in clinical trials. He noted structural barriers including restrictive eligibility criteria and inadequate culturally appropriate resources, advocating for practical measures to improve diversity and representativeness.
Ruth Croney from Roche shared insights on advancing Alzheimer’s clinical trials within the UK, followed by early career researcher flash talks from Dr Sasha Philbert, discussing sodium as a potential biomarker for vascular dementia, and Dr Mats van Es, who presented findings on MEG brain network differences in amyloid-positive Alzheimer’s patients.
The session concluded with a panel Q&A, offering a broader discussion on the presentations, followed by closing remarks from Professor John Gallacher, reflecting on the future directions of Alzheimer’s clinical trials in the UK.
Dr Emma Law
Dementia Researcher
