First UK commercial Alzheimer’s disease study opens at Care Trust

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust has become the first mental health trust in Yorkshire and the Humber to successfully open a commercial clinical study in dementia, marking a significant milestone for research and innovation in the region.

The Trust has been selected as a recruiting site for a new Alzheimer’s disease study funded by pharmaceutical company Roche. Unlike previous studies supported at the Care Trust, this trial is commercially funded and involves a novel type of medication that is not yet used in routine clinical practice.

The study is investigating a monoclonal antibody treatment designed to remove amyloid – a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain. It is hoped that this approach will slow disease progression while causing fewer side effects than other recently developed treatments targeting amyloid.

Dementia affects a growing number of people in the UK. It is estimated that around 982,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK, with numbers expected to rise to approximately 1.4 million by 2040. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for a majority of cases.

Increasing participation in commercial clinical research is a key priority within the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan. The Care Trust’s involvement represents a major step forward in expanding access to cutting-edge research for local communities.

The study is being delivered in collaboration with colleagues at the West Yorkshire Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (BTHFT). This collaboration is a UK first, as none of the other 25 CRDCs nationwide have previously opened a dementia study.

Mark Dawson, Head of Research and Knowledge Services at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Opening this commercial Alzheimer’s study is a significant achievement for the Trust and for our research teams. It demonstrates our ability to deliver complex, cutting-edge studies in partnership with industry and our NHS colleagues, while ensuring patients in Bradford have access to the very latest developments in dementia treatment. With nearly a million people in the UK living with dementia and numbers rising, advancing research in this area has never been more important. We are proud to be leading the way locally and contributing to research that could shape future care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Karen Regan, Clinical Manager for NIHR Bradford and West Yorkshire Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust on the UK’s first CRDC dementia trial. As the first commercial mental health study in Bradford, this milestone highlights the value of strong collaboration in bringing innovative research to Bradford District and Craven. It also creates opportunities for local communities to take part in UK first studies.”

The study offers residents of Bradford the opportunity to take part in pioneering research and access potential new treatments close to home. Progress on the study is being closely observed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network, which is exploring whether this model could be replicated more widely across the country.

For information on all mental health and wellbeing support services in Bradford and Craven and self-help resources and apps, visit www.healthyminds.services.