AHEAD

Researchers have learned that changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease begin up to 20 years before a person notices any symptoms. During those two decades, a protein in the brain called amyloid builds up in people who may go on to have memory and thinking problems because of Alzheimer’s disease. While not all people with amyloid in their brain will develop memory problems, we know that people with amyloid in their brain are at higher risk for developing cognitive decline.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health and Eisai, Inc. the AHEAD study tests whether an investigational treatment aimed at removing amyloid from the brain can also slow the earliest memory change in people with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The AHEAD Study tests whether intervening ahead of symptoms may prevent future memory loss and dementia. The study looks at an investigational treatment aimed at delaying memory decline in people up to 20 years before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear. The AHEAD Study is made up of two different research trials testing the same investigational treatment (known as BAN2401 or lecanemab). Participants will receive a specific treatment approach, depending on which trial they qualify for, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

The two AHEAD trials enroll participants with different levels of amyloid in the brain:

• Participants with intermediate amyloid levels take part in the AHEAD A-3 trial—the first study aimed at investigating this very early stage of brain change. Participants in the A-3 trial receive a lower dose of BAN2401 (lecanemab).
• Participants with elevated amyloid levels take part in the AHEAD A-45 preclinical Alzheimer’s disease trial and will receive a higher dose of BAN2401 (lecanemab), which has been shown to lower brain amyloid levels in people with Alzheimer’s dementia.

To determine eligibility for the AHEAD Study, potential participants must have a PET (or Positron Emission Tomography brain) scan to measure the level of amyloid in the brain. This exam will reveal whether a participant has elevated, intermediate, or not detectable levels of amyloid.

You may be eligible if you:

• Are English speaking.
• Are between ages 65-80. 
  • If you are ages 55-64, and has first degree family history of dementia.
• Have not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
• Have a study partner, either a close relative or friend, who will participate in one study visit per year.

Please contact our study coordinator to find out what is the next step.