(NAPSA)—There’s encouraging newsfor the 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. While there are currently no treatments available to slow or stop the brain cell deterioration that occurs with the disease, more than 100 clinical studies in Alzheimer’s and dementia are currently taking place, and dozens more experimental compounds are poised to move from the laboratory to clinical testing. Families affected by Alzhei- mer’s need better diagnostics and treatment now, but the development and testing of these new treatments are being delayed by a lack of volunteers in Alzheimer’s clinical studies. “Alzheimer’s disease is reaching epidemic proportions with devastating impact on families and the potential to wreck Medicare, Medicaid and the health care system,” said William Thies, Ph.D., chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. “The immediate need for ad- vances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention has led to an unprecedented need for clinical study participants.” That’s why the Alzheimer’s Association recently launched Alzheimer’s Association Trial- Match, a confidential, free tool that provides comprehensiveclinical trial information and an indi- vidualized trial matching service for people with Alzheimer’s disease andrelated dementias. “By volunteering for clinical studies, people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers can play a Ge Eee = A new service providesclinical trial information and a free, confi- dential matching service for peo- ple with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and healthy volunteers. more active role in their own treatment while also contributing to scientific discovery and benefiting future generations,” said Dr. Thies. “It is public service in the best possible sense.” According to Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins and director ofits Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, “By referring our current patients to trials, we offer access to potential cutting-edge treatments while unlocking the door to potentially more widely available treatments for people with Alzheimer’s in the future.” The service contains a comprehensive, constantly updated database of Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment and other dementia trials taking place across the U.S. Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch can be accessed at www.alz.org/TrialMatch or bycalling (800) 272-3900 toll-free.
