Premium
P3‐036: REPURPOSING OF MONTELUKAST FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: INTELGENX INITIATES PHASE 2A MONTELUKAST VERSAFILM™ CLINICAL TRIAL IN ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS
Author(s) -
Conway Justin,
Paiement Nadine,
Zerbe Horst,
Aigner Ludwig
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1391
Subject(s) - montelukast , medicine , placebo , clinical trial , tolerability , pharmacology , adverse effect , alternative medicine , pathology , asthma
Background:African Americans are twice more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than non-Hispanic Whites. Despite being twice more likely to have the disease, the least likely to get a diagnosis and the most likely to experience caregiver burden, they are consistently underrepresented in research studies and clinical trials. We hypothesize that individuals who are better educated are much more inclined to improve healthy aging and improve participation in research. Methods:We created the Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health (COAACH) to improve healthy aging. The Center employs a clinical research coordinator, public health educators, a data analyst, students, research faculty, and administrative personnel. Center activities include support groups, lunch and learn workshops, town hall meetings, awareness galas, an annual caregiver education conference, webinars, cognitive assessments, newsletters, rural health fairs, and patient navigation initiatives. Research faculty at the Center collaborate with multiple investigators on genetics as well as community based participatory research in Alzheimer’s and related disorders. Results: Individuals who are continuously connected with COAACH are more knowledgeable and are more likely to participate in our research. Investigators at COAACH have recruited African Americans for genetic studies in Alzheimer’s disease for 15 years. Since the Center’s inception in 2015, recruitment efficiency for African Americans has increased. Significantly fewer follow up calls are madewith potential participants. Retention of individuals who indicate a desire to participate in our study is approximately 96%. Often individuals are taken the first step to call us for participation, rather than our making the first call to them. Our genetic studies now recruit multiplex AA families with AD, where at least two affected and one unaffected individual per family are recruited. Retention rates for these families is 100%. Conclusions:We have found that continuous community engagement not only improves health among African Americans with AD, but it also improves recruitment and retention of older African Americans in research studies. Continuous programming, support and engagement in the community, and also within a common physical space, creates trusting relationships that improve comfort levels for individuals who have historically been less inclined to participate in studies.