Mrs Linda Key is the wife and study partner of Mr Barry Key who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 71. Mr Key has been on a clinical trial at Re:Cognition Health since February 2020 where he has been participating in the GAIN study. Below, Mrs Key shares their inspiring story about participating in a clinical trial:
Why did you decide to participate in a trial?
We felt we had nothing to lose and everything to GAIN (excuse the pun!)
How do you think the trial has been beneficial?
It is a positive experience and gives hope for the future not just for us but for anyone who will be diagnosed with this awful disease to know there could be a medication to slow down/stop Alzheimer’s. We are both hopeful that Barry’s onset diagnosis will slow down the progression rate by participating in the clinical trial, this has given us a more hopeful and positive outlook for the future.
How did you find out about the trials?
After reading a newspaper article from a patient who had started a study trial, his feedback was a very positive one so we made a call to Cognition Health who explained to us about the trials that they were offering at that time, we made an immediate appointment for Barry to be assessed to see what trial would be most suitable for him and to see if he would be a good candidate.
How has your clinical trials journey been?
Our journey so far has been a very positive one, great care is taken to ensure every measure of your well-being is covered, not just for the Alzheimer’s disease but constant checks on physical well-being too. The Doctors, Specialists, Psychotherapists, Pharmacists and administration staff are all very professional with great knowledge in this field, they are most considerate, kind and are very supportive to both of us.
How has your experience with Re:Cognition Health been?
Our experience with Re:Cognition Health has been and still is very positive, both mentally and physical for Barry and myself. Everyone who is involved at Cognition Health is very friendly, caring and supportive of both our needs. Of course we do not know if the tablets Barry is on are the Placebo or the real tablet but just knowing you have made a step to hopefully prolonging your quality of life for a better future gives you hope and encouragement.
What were your expectations?
We had no expectations going into the trial as we did not know what to expect although we were given lots of information we was still anxious and asked ourselves would it be something we could commit to and wondered would it be advantageous for Barry, it was a commitment because for us it was a two hour round trip and some appointments could take up most of the day with rating test, bloods etc., but we can assure anyone who reads this questionnaire it is so worthwhile, it has given us both hope for a brighter future.
What advice would you give anybody in a similar position?
The support the trial gives to patients and study partners is invaluable, it gives hope and guidance every step of the way, we know that if we needed any guidance that someone would be at the end of the telephone to help if we felt unsure about anything, so in our view the advice would be to get involved you will not regret it, you have nothing to lose only to gain. They have a solid commitment to changing the future of Alzheimer’s and to help find a cure for this terrible disease and that can only be a good thing.
Anything additional to add?
To all the staff, thank you for your guidance, care and support.