Mass dementia trials launched as Nice rejects second drug

Tens of thousands of dementia patients are to be enrolled in clinical trials designed to dramatically speed up the hunt for a cure, scientists have announced, as a second treatment was rejected for use on the NHS.

- Andrew Gregory

Dementia presents a rapidly growing problem for health and social care services, with soaring numbers affected. But despite the urgent need for cheap and effective drugs to treat the condition, only 61 patients took part in trials in the UK in 2021/22.

Now researchers are launching the Dementia Trials Accelerator, a £20m initiative funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), to tackle the "historically low" numbers enrolled into trials. The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), which is spearheading the scheme along with Health Data Research UK, said it would recruit tens of thousands of patients to help fast-track the discovery of new treatments for the disease.

The launch comes a day after a new Alzheimer's drug was rejected for use on the NHS after the health spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), said it "does not currently demonstrate value for the NHS".