Partnership aims to expand access to Alzheimer’s clinical trials

A partnership between Re:Cognition Health and Cera is aiming to expand access to Alzheimer’s Disease and neurodegenerative clinical trials.

The collaboration brings together Re:Cognition Health’s specialist brain health clinics and clinical trial expertise with healthcare provider Cera’s 2.5 million monthly home care visits to create new pathways for people to benefit from advanced assessment and research opportunities.

With patient consent, Cera will refer potential participants to Re:Cognition Health clinics for clinical trials they may be a match for.

By linking care in the home with specialist research centres, more people can be offered the opportunity to take part in clinical trials, helping them access the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment, whilst contributing to the development of future treatments.

Dr Ben Maruthappu, founder and chief executive of Cera, said: “Many older adults are currently ‘invisible’ to the clinical trials research system because they cannot access traditional clinic-centric recruitment.

“By enabling responsible, consented identification and screening within the home, we can bridge the gap between the community and the clinic.

“We are offering the older generation a seat at the table of global drug discovery, ensuring that the path to a cure starts where they are most comfortable—in their own daily lives.”

Re:Cognition Health has played a key role in the development of pioneering Alzheimer’s treatments, including lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla), with its clinics delivering international clinical trials that helped bring these therapies into clinical practice.

The partnership with Cera allows the clinic to reach people who may not yet have accessed specialist memory services, enabling earlier referral, assessment and potential participation in clinical trials.

Cera’s home healthcare model, powered by technology-enabled data capture and daily patient contact can provide insight into cognitive health in familiar environments.

Dr Emer MacSweeney, founder and chief executive of Re:Cognition Health, said: “With one in three people expected to develop dementia in their lifetime, it is essential that we create more inclusive and accessible routes into research.

“This collaboration enables us to extend our reach beyond traditional clinic settings and ensure that people who may benefit from early assessment and research participation are supported to do so.

“Clinical trials offer individuals access to the most advanced diagnostics and emerging treatments, alongside expert medical oversight.

“By identifying people earlier and guiding them through every stage of their journey, we can help improve participants’ experience and potential outcomes, while accelerating the development of the next generation of Alzheimer’s therapies.”

Last month, Cera announced the launch of a suite of AI agents designed to automate time-consuming tasks in the home care sector.

The company is introducing almost 1,000 agents across its workforce of 10,000, with the goal of speeding up recruitment of carers, organising replacement cover and continuously reviewing and improving patient care quality and compliance.