CLEVELAND — A research study with the goal of finding a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is moving into Stage 2 of the trial. University Hospitals is one of 50 sites participating in the nationwide research, and more participants are needed to make sure it’s a success.
“We are looking at the difference in quality of life and also in memory for patients who are receiving the drug versus you know the placebo,” said University Hospitals Assistant Professor of Neurology Dr. Mohamed Elkasaby. “Currently we have about seven million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease and this number is projected to reach 13 million Americans by 2050.”
The goal of this research is to determine whether benfotiamine, a synthetic version of thiamine or vitamin B1, is a treatment for mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s Disease. Elkasaby said they’re looking for people aged 50 to 89 who have those early signs of disease to participate.
“We know that there is some evidence about low vitamin B1 in patients with Alzheimer's disease, so we are trying to increase this level and see how much benefit patients can get from that,” he said. “What we are looking at is actually to help slow down the disease progression or… in other terms, you know, giving patients more time of independence, if this is deemed to be effective.”
This is a controlled trial testing the effectiveness of two different doses in an oral form. For more information on the study, call University Hospitals at 216-844-2328 or visit benfoteam.org.
