Prime Minister-backed Alzheimer's trial tests repurposed diabetes and ADHD drugs
A government-funded trial backed by the Prime Minister is testing whether existing diabetes and ADHD drugs can slow Alzheimer's disease in 1,200 patients across the UK.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Scientists are recruiting patients for a new clinical trial, backed by the Prime Minister and government funding, that will test whether two existing medicines can slow Alzheimer's disease. The trial, called AD-SMART, will examine metformin, used for type 2 diabetes, and atomoxetine, used for ADHD, in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Researchers hope the drugs may reduce brain inflammation and have antioxidant effects, helping protect brain function. They stress that the trial must show real benefits in thinking and everyday activities, not just laboratory signals.
The study aims to recruit 1,200 people across the UK and run for four years. It is designed as an adaptive trial, testing more than one drug at once. If an arm does not look effective, researchers can stop it quickly and start another. One expert compared the approach to building a football stadium and playing a whole season in it, rather than building it for one match and taking it down. Experts say the design could more than halve the time it currently takes to test Alzheimer's treatments. Other promising drugs could be added during the study. Regular cognitive assessments, including memory tests, will track whether the medicines slow disease progression.
Angela Buxey, 67, from Cambridgeshire, is the first person to join the trial. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in January and has been married to Steve for nearly 50 years. She does not know whether she is receiving one of the drugs or a placebo. She said the trial has given her and her husband renewed optimism after the despair of diagnosis. 'This isn't going to define me, that's for sure,' she said. 'At least you're doing something. You're not just sitting back and going, oh God, my life's over. My life's far from over.' She added that taking part has brought them back from the despair of a diagnosis that everybody recognises is non-recoverable.
Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes brain shrinkage and affects memory and thinking skills. There is no cure. The trial's goal is to slow progression and help people stay independent for longer. Researchers and doctors have welcomed the news but urged caution. One said the work is at an early stage, though preclinical tests suggest the drugs can reduce neuroinflammation. Another said the use of medicines already prescribed on the NHS could allow a faster rollout if the results are positive, with trial information expected around 2030 or 2031.
The Prime Minister's father died with Alzheimer's last month. His backing and the government funding have been described as important because so many families have been affected by dementia. The trial team said about 400 people contacted them between midnight and 9am before media coverage, showing strong patient interest. People can find out about joining through the AD-SMART website, the Alzheimer's Research UK helpline and Join Dementia Research.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 3 channels | |||
| The trial will initially test medicines for ADHD and diabetes to see whether they can be repurposed. | Reported by ITV | ||
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | |||
| Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at clinics across the country will take part in the trial. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by ITV | |
| The Prime Minister backed a new clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease. | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by ITV | |
| Only on one channel | |||
| About 400 patient contacts were made with the research team between midnight and 9am before media coverage. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Angela became the first participant to join the trial. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by ITV | |
| The medicines may help reduce brain inflammation. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | |
| The Prime Minister's father died with Alzheimer's last month. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
| The trial will test several drugs simultaneously and stop unsuccessful treatment arms early so other tests can begin. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5's coverage was brief in its lunchtime bulletin and fuller in a later studio explainer. It highlighted the Prime Minister's backing and the repurposing of diabetes and ADHD drugs, with a cautious but hopeful doctor saying the work is early but exciting. The later segment stressed that a successful trial could be rolled out quickly on the NHS because the drugs are already in use.
- “A new clinical trial backed by the Prime Minister could dramatically speed up the discovery of treatments for Alzheimer's disease.”
- “So that's metformin and atomoxetine. And these are medications that are used to treat diabetes and are really useful in ADHD.”
- “So it is a really good step forward but we have to be really cautious.”
BBC ONE West led with a detailed Fergus Walsh package built around Angela Buxey, the first patient in the trial. It gave the clearest explanation of the science, including brain shrinkage, possible anti-inflammatory effects and regular cognitive tests, while stressing that benefits in thinking and daily activities still have to be proved. The package also set out the 1,200-patient recruitment target and the four-year adaptive design.
- “This isn't going to define me, that's for sure.”
- “It has brought us back from the despair of a diagnosis which everybody recognises is non-recoverable.”
- “The aim of the trial is to recruit 1,200 people across the UK with mild to moderate Alzheimer's.”
ITV1 gave the story a studio interview with Professor Paresh Malhotra from the UK Dementia Research Institute, focusing on how the adaptive trial works and why repurposing can save time. It was the only coverage to name the trial as ad smart, report the government funding and the Prime Minister's father's death, and give practical joining details. The tone was optimistic but carefully qualified, with the professor describing strong patient interest before publicity.
- “we're testing more than one drug at once”
- “it's like building a football stadium playing a whole season in it”
- “we had roughly 400 contacts between midnight and 9 this morning before we even put anything out in the media”
Broadcast Timeline
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