LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The global effort to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease has seen a 35% increase in the number of clinical trials and a 40% increase in therapies being tested since 2016, according to a new report from a UNLV researcher.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Cummings from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV released his annual report on Alzheimer’s drug development Monday. In the 10th year of the report, Cummings and colleagues noted that 59 new trials entered the pipeline during the past year, signaling increased confidence in the ability to develop drugs to slow the loss of memory.
MORE ON FOX5: Southwest Airlines rolls out new nonstop flights from Las Vegas
“Alzheimer’s is no longer an untreatable disease,” Cummings said. “It is now a disease with treatments that successfully interfere in the disease process. In addition to the recently approved therapies, several novel compounds are reading out this year and could increase the number of treatments available for Alzheimer’s.”
Looking back at previous summaries, Cummings said research in the field has shifted away from an amyloid-dominant approach. In 2016, a third of all drugs in development targeted amyloids, dense protein clusters that accumulate in the brain. Today that figure has fallen to around 20%.
Over the same period, inflammation and immune-targeting drugs have risen from 6% to 18%. The increase in the diversity of disease processes being targeted by experimental agents is increasing optimism that new types of therapy for Alzheimer’s will be found, according to Cummings.
“It is clear that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with many contributing elements,” Cummings said. “Inflammation is consistently present in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, and reducing the inflammatory response promises to slow the disease process. Researchers are seeking ways to complement the approved anti-amyloid therapies.”
Cummings said the development of combination therapies is likely and combinations are being studied in current trials.
The study of donanemab, an IV immunotherapy used to treat the disease, in cognitively normal people with blood tests positive for very early Alzheimer’s may be read out and will reveal if Alzheimer’s symptoms can be prevented or delayed in those with normal memory function, Cummings said.
The report found 192 trials assessing 158 drugs, compared to 182 trials and 138 drugs in 2025 and 164 trials and 127 drugs in 2024.
Amyloid targets comprise 18% of the pipeline, the same percentage as in 2024. Cummings says patients with all stages of Alzheimer’s are represented in prevention trials, from those with no symptoms to those who have mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer’s dementia.
There are 56 repurposed agents in the pipeline this year, comprising 35% of total drugs. Repurposed drugs have already been approved for other conditions, are known to be safe and can reach market sooner.
A total of 29 Phase 2 trials will read out in 2026, Cummings says, providing insight into effects on multiple disease processes and adding to the consistent increase in the number of trials and drugs being studied.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
