Clinical Trials

A) You will not be paid for your participation in the clinical trial, however, the sponsor will reimburse reasonable travel expenses for you and your study partner for each visit. To give you an example, for most of our current trials, the reimbursement is up to £60 for the patient and £60 for the study partner for each visit.

A) The frequency of the visits will depend on the clinical trial that you participate in. The trials will have a period of frequent visits at the start during the screening period. The screening period is when all the initial investigations are carried out to establish whether an individual is eligible for the trial. During the treatment stage of the study, the visits will be less frequent. Some trials require a clinic visit once a month whereas others have visits every six 6 weeks. Once you are on a trial, we will be able to give you all your appointments in advance.

A) You can leave the trial at any point. Your medical or legal rights will not be affected. You do not need to give a reason as to why you want to leave, although we always value any feedback from you. If you choose to leave after you have started taking the trial drug, then we are obliged to offer you a final visit, called the termination visit.

A) No. All of our current clinical trials are for Alzheimer’s Disease. However, we are always investigating new studies so please register your contact details and we will get in touch when we have a trial that is suitable for you.

A) As part of the trial, you will undergo various screening tests. These include a medical examination, blood pressure reading, urine tests, ECG, MRI head scan, a PET scan or lumbar puncture. You will be informed of all of you results and GP will also be made aware of any significant results.

A) Yes. If you are found to be eligible for one of the clinical trials, then you can consent to be assigned to a treatment group. Depending on the trial, the trial medication can be in the form of a tablet taken orally once a day or an intravenous infusion once a month.

A) No. You will not know whether you are taking the active study drug or a placebo. A placebo is a dummy pill and does not contain any active drug. You will be randomly assigned into one of the study groups and you and your study team will not know which group you are in. This is called a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial.

A) There is a chance that you are in the placebo group, the probability of that will depend on the trial. It may be anyway between 1:2 to 1:3. Whichever group you are in, you will still benefit from the ongoing medical care and psychometric testing that you will receive as part of the trial. At the end of the trial period, most trials offer the opportunity for you to enter the open label extension. This is when you continue in the trial but on the active drug despite whichever group (ie. Placebo or active drug) group you were in before. The open label extension is un-blinded, so you will know you are on the active drug.

A) Any potential side effects will be listed in the patient information sheets that are sent to you prior to your initial consultation. Most of the side effects are non-specific but some trials have specific side effects that your study doctor will discuss with you. We will work closely with you and your GP to ensure your safety at all times.

A) Yes and no. It is good practice to let your GP know but it is not necessary to inform your GP before your screening visit. If you are found to be eligible for the study at the screening visit, we will inform your GP and obtain a medical summary letter from your GP with your consent. We can also write to other doctors involved in your care should you wish.