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The global effort to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is gaining momentum, according to a new annual report tracking the drug development pipeline. Researchers say the number of clinical trials and experimental therapies has grown steadily over the past decade, while the field is also shifting toward a broader range of therapeutic approaches. 

The report, led by Dr. Jeffrey Cummings of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, found that 192 clinical trials are currently evaluating 158 Alzheimer’s drugs worldwide. That compares with 182 trials and 138 drugs in 2025 and 164 trials involving 127 drugs in 2024. 

Researchers say 59 new trials entered the pipeline during the past year alone, signaling increased confidence in the ability to develop therapies that can slow memory loss and disease progression. 

“Alzheimer’s is no longer an untreatable disease,” Dr. Cummings said in a statement accompanying the report. “It is now a disease with treatments that successfully interfere in the disease process.” 

The findings were published May 5 inAlzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.

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Shift away from an amyloid-only focus

For years, Alzheimer’s research largely focused on amyloid plaques — abnormal protein deposits in the brain believed to play a major role in the disease. But the latest report suggests scientists are increasingly exploring additional biological pathways.

In 2016, roughly one-third of all drugs in development targeted amyloid proteins. Today, amyloid-focused therapies account for about 18% to 20% of the pipeline, according to the report. Meanwhile, drugs targeting inflammation and immune system responses have grown sharply, rising from 6% of therapies in 2016 to 18% today. 

“It is clear that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with many contributing elements,” Dr. Cummings said. “Inflammation is consistently present in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, and reducing the inflammatory response promises to slow the disease process.”

Researchers are also increasingly studying combination therapies that may complement recently approved anti-amyloid treatments.

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Repurposed drugs play a growing role

Another notable trend is the growing use of repurposed drugs — medications already approved for other diseases that are now being tested for Alzheimer’s.

The report found that 56 repurposed agents are currently in the pipeline, accounting for 35% of all drugs under investigation. Because these medications already have established safety profiles, researchers say they could potentially reach patients more quickly than entirely new compounds. 

The pipeline also includes therapies targeting a wide variety of disease mechanisms, including tau proteins, vascular dysfunction, bioenergetics, synaptic function, and neuroinflammation.

The report highlights 29 Phase 2 trials expected to produce results during 2026, potentially offering important insights into multiple disease processes and treatment strategies. 

One closely watched study involves donanemab, an anti-amyloid therapy being tested in cognitively normal individuals who show very early biological signs of Alzheimer’s through blood testing. Researchers hope the study may reveal whether symptoms can be delayed or prevented altogether.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease.