Global snapshot of Alzheimer’s research offers new hope
Baku, May 6, AZERTAC
Every year, world leading dementia researcher Dr Jeffrey Cummings releases a global snapshot of Alzheimer’s trials – and the 2026 update has just been published.
According Alzheimer’s Research UK, researchers are evaluating 158 medicines across 192 trials – marking an impressive 40% rise over the past decade. This year’s review also shows the most diverse Alzheimer’s drug pipeline to date.
The field is undergoing a pivotal shift, moving beyond its long-standing focus on amyloid – a protein central to Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid targeting drugs now make up just 20% of the pipeline, down from one third a decade ago. Treatments designed to address tau, reduce inflammation or rebalance the immune system have risen sharply.
Drugs are being tested across individuals at every stage of dementia, including in people who have no symptoms but are at risk, and those in more advanced stages.
Currently, 192 clinical trials are underway across the globe compared to 182 in 2025. These are exploring various types of drugs and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Around three-quarters of medicines being tested are designed to tackle the underlying disease (disease-modifying treatments), similar to last year’s figure.
A further 18% of drugs aim to improve memory and thinking or ease day-to-day symptoms of Alzheimer’s, while 10% target neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as agitation or anxiety.
Repurposed drugs also make up 35% of medicines in the pipeline. For example, atomoxetine, originally used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is being tested in a Phase 2 trial in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early Alzheimer’s to see if it can slow cognitive decline.
There are several trials exploring combinations of treatments addressing different biological pathways too. This includes a Phase 2 study testing a vaccine targeting tau – another key protein involved in Alzheimer’s – alongside an anti-amyloid drug.
Over the last decade the Alzheimer’s drug pipeline has grown significantly with researchers exploring a wider range of targets than ever before.
But even as new potential treatments enter trials, research is revealing more about how Alzheimer’s starts and progresses.
It’s likely that, just as with diseases like cancer, truly effective treatment will involve a combination of therapies, each targeting different disease processes. So, it’s encouraging to see early combination treatment approaches now being tested in Alzheimer’s trials.
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