By: John Lavaccare, M.D.
Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois deal with the harsh realities of Alzheimer’s disease everyday – either because they are diagnosed with it or because they experience the impact of the disease firsthand as they care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Without any new medical breakthroughs, experts believe the number of case of Alzheimer’s will triple by 2050. Worldwide, that means 130 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and an economic impact of nearly $1 trillion. Now imagine if we’re able to change the course of this disease by developing a therapy that can stave off symptoms before we lose another generation. This is what we’re doing at Great Lakes Clinical Trials, as one of 90 study sites contributing to the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API) Generation Study – a research study that is testing whether an active immunotherapy and/or an oral medication might prevent or delay Alzheimer’s symptoms.
To do this, we are enrolling people in the Chicago area from the Baby Boomer generation. We’re looking for individuals who are 60 to 75 years of age and who currently show no signs of cognitive impairment, but who may be at particularly high risk for developing the disease at older ages because of their genetic background. Participants will be required to learn whether they carry none, one or two copies of the e4 type of the APOE gene, the major genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s later in life. Only those who learn they have two copies will be invited to participate in the study. We understand that learning one’s genetic status can be emotionally impactful so we will be providing genetic counseling to those volunteering to participate in the Generation Study. I’m excited to be part of an effort that could potentially prevent or delay this disease that takes the lives of millions worldwide. I have seen too many patients lose who they are to this disease and have witnessed many families struggle with effects of Alzheimer’s. If you’d like to learn more about participating in the Generation Study, visit www.GenerationStudy.com.
Dr. Lavaccare is Board-Certified in Neurology and has been an investigator on over 50 clinical trials including studies in Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Parkinson’s Disease, Vaccines, Insomnia and Depression. Dr. Lavaccare earned his Medical Degree from the University of Chicago and did his fellowship in Neurophysiology (EEG, EMG, PSG) at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. He is the Principal Investigator for the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative Generation Study at Great Lakes Clinical Trials.
