Researchers from the Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI), Novartis, and Amgen announced another step forward in the international effort to prevent Alzheimer's disease. The new study, known as the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) Generation Study 2, will focus on high-risk older adults to determine whether an investigational drug can prevent or delay the emergence of symptoms by combatting the accumulation of amyloid plaques, the protein fragments that form between nerve cells in the brain as a prime hallmark of Alzheimer's.

"This expanded collaboration builds upon the API Generation Study 1 which launched last year, and is another step in our effort to take clinical trials to a critical new stage," said Pierre N. Tariot, MD, co-director of API and director of BAI, a division of Banner Health, one of the largest non-profit healthcare systems in the United States. "This approach continues to shift the Alzheimer's research paradigm from reversing disease damage to attacking its root cause before symptoms surface. It is our hope that by targeting people earlier, we will have a better chance of delaying or preventing the onset of the disease."

The API Generation Program is the first to incorporate both genetic testing and counselling in addition to amyloid disclosure education into the study screening process. For both studies, prospective participants referred to the trial will be required to learn their APOE test results. Only those who learn they have one or two copies may be eligible to participate in the study. In Generation Study 2, testing will also determine the participant's amyloid status, which will be disclosed by qualified medical personnel. Genetic counselling will be provided in person or by phone.

Participants will be recruited via multiple venues, including, in the U.S., the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry's GeneMatch program. GeneMatch is a first-of-its-kind program designed to identify a large group of people interested in volunteering for Alzheimer's research studies, based in part on their APOE genetic information.