Washington company looking for volunteers for trials of potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
BOTHELL, Wash. - A Washington-based biopharmaceutical company is looking for volunteers in the next phase of trials for a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Athira Pharma, of Bothell, has been developing a new investigational drug for its clinical trial called LIFT-AD, which is aimed at people living with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s.
The company says its new investigational drug, fosgonimeton, targets mild to moderate cases of Alzheimer’s disease, which hasn’t seen a new treatment in decades.
"These injections, every day patients take it, and the hope is that it helps the nerve cells to connect to each other better," said Doctor Arif Khan is leading the LIFT-AD trial at the Northwest Clinical Research Center in Bellevue.
More than 120,000 people in Washington aged 65 and older are currently living Alzheimer’s disease, affecting more than double that amount of relatives who provide them with home care.
Robert Gaunt and his wife Sharon are among them. The former FEMA and King County worker was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years ago. He’s already participated in two clinical trials for other drugs and may enroll in the LIFT-AD study next.
"This is a very difficult thing for families, so anything that we can do to, possibly help." said Sharon Gaunt. "So being part of these studies is the only help we have."
The study is currently enrolling patients in 23 states across the US, including two sites in Washington. One in Bellevue and one in Spokane.