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Okanagan study looking for volunteers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

The study is looking at how gut bacteria may help slow the disease
24036927_web1_200618-NTS-DementiaWebinars-AlzheimersBCphoto_1
Okanagan Clinical Trials is looking at gut bacteria as a way of slowing down the development of Alzheimer’s. (Alzheimer Society of B.C. photo)

An Okanagan company is looking for volunteers for a study to help slow the effect of Alzheimer’s disease.

Kelowna’s Okanagan Clinical Trials is looking for participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s for a research study called Green Memory.

The study will look at how medication that targets gut bacteria could impact brain function and the development of Alzheimer’s.

The study is currently undergoing testing in the United States as well.

“The Green Memory study is a first-of-its kind opportunity to explore an innovative treatment mechanism for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Eugene Okorie, the primary investigator at Okanagan Clinical Trials in a press release. “We are targeting the gut to treat the brain.”

Okanagan Clinical Trials is looking for volunteers who meet the following qualifications:

  • Are between the ages of 50 and 85.
  • Have been diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Have a study partner who knows them well, is with them three or more days a week, and can come to all study-related visits.

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To complete the Green Memory study, research clinics across the country need more than 2,000 volunteers.

There are 65,000 people in British Columbia living with Alzheimer’s, but many Alzheimer’s disease clinical studies are delayed by slow recruitment.

“For Green Memory, we are looking for a wide range of volunteers,” said Dr. Okorie. “To determine if this treatment works for everyone, we need a diverse group of participants.”

Approximately 80 research clinics across North America are working on the Green Memory study. Over half of these clinics are a part of GAP-Net, the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation network, which benefit from sharing knowledge and experience in order to effectively and efficiently work toward research progress in neurodegenerative conditions.

“Researchers have been working for decades to find a therapy or cure for people living with Alzheimer’s,” said GAP president John Dwyer in a release. “The Green Memory study represents a novel and promising approach to treating mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease.”

The Green Memory study involves seven visits to Okanagan Clinical Trials over a year of treatment, and four additional visits conducted over the phone. During the treatment period, 50 per cent of participants will receive the investigational medication while 50 per cent of participants will receive a placebo of inactive medication.

Every participant may be eligible to receive the investigational medication for 26 weeks after completion of their initial year of study participation. There is no cost to participate.

For more information, you can go to www.okanaganclinicaltrials.com or call 250-862-8141.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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