The prevalence and impact of Alzheimer’s disease varies by sex, race and ethnicity. In fact, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Black Americans are nearly twice as likely as White Americans to develop Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, and Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times as likely. Despite these known disparities, clinical trials have historically lacked representation from diverse communities.

To develop effective therapies, clinical trials should reflect the real-world patient population of those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease as close as possible. This helps researchers better understand variances in response to treatment, leading to more inclusive and effective care.

Recently, at the 2024 Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) conference, Prothena shared insights from our work on increasing representation of ethnically and racially diverse participants in our Phase 1 ASCENT clinical trials for PRX012, a potential treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease. The poster highlights targeted recruitment efforts to increase ethnic diversity which resulted in good representation of Hispanic or Latino older adults. It reports that across our ASCENT program, 64% of participants are female, 26% are Hispanic or Latino, and 4% are racially diverse (including African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other). This underscores our commitment to ensuring that our trials are inclusive of the diverse populations affected by this disease.

Activities to support diverse recruiting efforts included translating key screening and participant-facing materials, travel support for participants, and selecting clinical trial sites in areas of diverse communities. Another example of our commitment to this was our collaboration with Walgreens. Aimed to help build a more representative patient population for Alzheimer’s disease research, particularly among underserved and diverse communities, Walgreens leveraged its national footprint, portfolio of industry-leading healthcare companies and compliance framework to match patient populations to Prothena’s clinical trial criteria.

Inclusive research is the foundation for equitable healthcare. At Prothena, we are committed to engaging a broader and more representative patient population in our Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. By embracing diversity, we are making meaningful strides toward a future where treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are accessible and effective for all patients.