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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found “deficiencies” that preclude discussing further steps in the approval process for Nuplazid (pimavanserin) as a possible treatment of dementia-related psychosis, according to a press release from Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Nuplazid’s maker. Discussions on “labeling and post-marketing requirements/commitments” cannot take place before certain…

Racial discrimination is a barrier to care in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to two U.S. surveys conducted on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association. This opinion was supported by more than one-third of Black Americans (36%), and nearly one-fifth of…

Cassava Sciences plans to launch two Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of simufilam, its investigational oral treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, in the second half of this year, the company announced. If successful, results of these studies in patients with mild-to-moderate disease will…

A Phase 1 trial will evaluate the use of gene therapy in delivering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often precedes dementia. Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine are preparing to…

The National Institute of Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) have awarded $4.6 million to a team of researchers studying the potential of the cancer therapy Revlimid (lenalidomide) in treating people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. Two clinical trials, each supported by one of these…

To meet a U.S. goal to effectively treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, patient, caregiver, and advocacy communities are recommending a $289 million hike in federal research dollars for fiscal year 2022. UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is supporting that recommendation — and calling for greater urgency in meeting national Alzheimer’s…

A virtual celebrity-studded HFC event aimed at caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients is on tap for Friday, National Caregivers Day. Called HFC CareCon and presented by Kensington Senior Living in both English and Spanish, the free two-hour event will be hosted by HFC co-founder and actor…

Simufilam, an investigational oral medication being developed by Cassava Sciences, improved cognition and behavior in people with Alzheimer’s disease after six months of dosing in a clinical trial, interim data show. “Today’s data once again suggests simufilam could be a transformative, novel therapeutic,” Nadav Friedmann, MD, PhD, chief medical…

Older Blacks in the U.S. are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as whites of a similar age, and they’re less likely to be diagnosed. Such a health disparity is why the Alzheimer’s Association is presenting a webinar on Feb. 18, marking Black History Month. Called…

Note: This story was updated Feb. 9, 2021, to clarify details surrounding the grant Chronic Care Collaborative received from Adira.  Greg Smiley’s world changed abruptly in 2013. He was racing down a mountain road on an outback cycling trip in South Africa, when he hit an obstruction in the road…