More people able to take part in dementia research thanks to new government funding

Today the government announced that £49.9 million will go towards expanding the number of dementia research sites across the UK. This will give more people the chance to take part in clinical trials, ultimately helping fuel our journey towards a cure for the diseases that cause dementia.

This new pot of funding will be used by the Dementia Translational Collaboration Trials Network, an initiative run by The National Institute for Health and Care Research, to offer more people with dementia the opportunity to take part in early phase clinical trials. By doing so, it will “accelerate therapy development for dementia, enable participation for all regardless of location or demographic, and reframe the UK as the ‘go-to’ place for gold standard conduct of early phase trials” said Dr Catherine Mummery who will lead the initiative.

Working closely with the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, a government initiative Co-Chaired by Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Chief Executive Hilary Evans-Newton, the Dementia Collaboration Trials Network will also help accelerate the set up and delivery of clinical trials. Industry, world-class researchers, and people affected by dementia will also be “vital” to building expertise, capacity and support in a unified network of trials sites, said Dr Mummery.

The Dementia Translational Collaboration Trials Network will have four key aims:

1. Accelerate set up and regulatory processes for dementia trials.
2. Increase industry engagement for early phase dementia trials.
3. Enhance recruitment, support and diversity in dementia trials.
4. Increase capacity and expertise for early phase dementia trials, thereby increasing the number of people with dementia in the UK who can participate.

David Thomas, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, welcomed the funding, adding the new investment “puts us on the right track” to making sure the nation is an attractive place to carry out clinical research.

‘’At Alzheimer’s Research UK, accelerating clinical research is a central part of our strategy for a cure for the diseases that cause dementia. We look forward to working closely with Dr Mummery and the wider Network to make this shared ambition a reality” he continued.

Later this year there will be an open, transparent application process for selecting where and when the new research sites will open, the government said.