A major UK clinical trial launched on October 22, 2026, aims to cut Alzheimer’s treatment testing times in half by simultaneously evaluating repurposed diabetes and ADHD drugs across multiple NHS sites.
About 600,000 people live with dementia in the country. Now, a nationwide research effort launched across the UK.
The multi-arm platform study, known as AD-SMART, adapts a trial design already proven successful in motor neurone disease and oncology. Rather than testing medicines one by one, the trial evaluates several treatments simultaneously against a shared control group receiving a dummy placebo. This structure increases the statistical likelihood that participants receive an active treatment while allowing scientists to drop ineffective compounds quickly and introduce new ones. Because of the way these trials are designed, biotech and pharmaceutical companies can also bring their drugs straight into the trial.
Angela Bucksey Joins AD-SMART in Cambridgeshire
The first participant to begin treatment in the trial is Angela Bucksey, a 67-year-old from Cambridgeshire diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in January. With a family history of the disease affecting her mother and aunts, Bucksey viewed her diagnosis with clarity rather than surprise. Another participant, Heather Ransome, 67, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2024.
We have Alzheimer’s in the family, my mother had it and my aunts, so it was a disappointment rather than a shock when I was diagnosed because I knew it would restrict my life. But I was determined that it wasn’t going to define me.
Angela Bucksey, trial participant
Bucksey’s husband and study partner, Steve Bucksey, noted that joining the research program provided a constructive outlet following a difficult prognosis.
The trial has already recruited initial participants through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. It has also recruited through the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Additional sites are open at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Edinburgh, and Southampton. Up to 20 NHS sites are expected to open across the UK over the next 12 to 18 months, with more than 30 planned overall.
Metformin and Atomoxetine Chosen as Initial Trial Drugs
The trial’s international panel of experts selected two existing, repurposed medications as the starting candidates: metformin, widely used for type 2 diabetes, and atomoxetine, prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Chief investigator Professor Paresh Malhotra, group leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute Centre for Care Research & Technology at Imperial College London, explained that both drugs may help reduce brain inflammation, which is a driver of neurodegeneration.
Hundreds of Alzheimer's patients to get ADHD drugs in world-leading trial – studies suggest pills could tackle dementia symptoms https://t.co/DeQ4dJqdJJ
Using repurposed medicines offers a distinct advantage because extensive safety data already exists, reducing the need for preliminary safety phases.
Participants undergo regular health checks. They undergo blood tests.
They undergo cognitive evaluations at six, 12, and 18-month intervals to measure impacts on memory, problem-solving, and everyday tasks, focusing on whether the medicines have beneficial effects on thinking and the ability to carry out everyday activities, which is what patients and their carers care about.
UK Government Prioritises Dementia Research to Accelerate Therapies
Mr Burnham stated that he had made dementia research a national priority to ensure breakthrough therapies reach patients faster. Science Minister Chris McDonald MP also observed that millions of people suffer severe consequences from dementia, affecting both the individuals who have the condition and their relatives and friends.
I know how it feels to lose a loved one to dementia and have seen first-hand the devastating impact this illness has on families. That’s why I’m proud to see this trial being launched in the UK, so that cutting-edge treatments can reach patients here as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham
Individuals who have received a formal Alzheimer’s diagnosis and wish to participate may sign up through the AD-SMART portal. Researchers expect to finish evaluating the first drugs in 2030, in around four years’ time.
