Clinical Trials and Tribulations in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Advances in treating and preventing Alzheimer disease and other neurocognitive disorders of aging arise from rigorous preclinical and clinical research, with randomized controlled treatment trials as the last and definitive test. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted ongoing interventional studies and researchers are scrambling to find ways to safely continue this critical work amidst rapidly shifting guidelines from sponsors, institutions, and state and federal guidelines. Here the authors describe novel approaches and work-flow adaptations to study visits, drug delivery and interim and endpoint safety and outcomes assessments to avoid sacrificing years of preparation and substantial financial investments, to work in the best interest of participants and their caregivers, and to continue on the path toward discovering disease-modifying treatments for the millions of individuals impacted by major neurocognitive disorders.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; clinical trials; geriatrics; telemedicine.