Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials: A 2026 Guide to the Drugs, Devices, and Studies in Development
May – July 2026
2026 Alzheimer’s Trials Update: What’s New Right Now
The second edition of this year’s Trials Update captures the latest developments in Alzheimer’s and other dementia clinical trials — from April 2026 through the July Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London. The biggest headlines: an at-home injectable starting dose of Leqembi is approved, Biogen moves forward with Phase 3 trial of tau-silencing therapy, and a novel formulation of THC and CBD provides rapid agitation relief in advanced stage Alzheimer’s.
Our team was on-site in London reporting on the latest discoveries in diagnostics and treatments. Being Patient founder, Deborah Kan, spoke to scientific experts attending AAIC and detailed her key takeaways.
As of July 2026, 90 late-stage Alzheimer’s trials are actively recruiting participants. Below is what changed this quarter, plus what to watch for throughout the rest of the year.
90
Late-stage trials recruiting
2
Anti-amyloid antibodies FDA-approved (Leqembi, Kisunla)
2
New FDA Approvals
What changed this quarter
What changed in Alzheimer’s trials, May–July 2026
2026 trials to watch
These trials are set to report data from Phase 3 trials later this year.
AriBio’s AR1001 pill for early- to moderate-stage Alzheimer’s
Bristol Myers Squibb’s KarXT for agitation and psychosis
Cognito Therapeutics’ Spectris headset to slow cognitive decline
Latest clinical trial coverage
Being Patient’s Trials Tracker
Being Patient maintains an independent, regularly updated tracker of every late-stage Alzheimer’s clinical trial currently recruiting in the United States and worldwide. As of July 2026, 90 late-stage trials are actively enrolling participants across anti-amyloid, anti-tau, gene therapy, small molecule, and device categories.
The Tracker is built and maintained by Being Patient’s editorial team and is updated each quarter. It is editorially independent and not sponsored by any pharmaceutical company.
What symptoms are drugs targeting?
Treatments
Small-Molecule Drugs in Late-Stage Alzheimer’s Trials
Drug maker: AriBio
Latest trial phase: Ongoing Phase 3 trial
Next steps: Finish trial in 2026
New updates: Yes
Originally developed to address erectile dysfunction, AR1001 is now being tested to treat early Alzheimer’s in a 1,535-person Phase 3 trial. At AAIC 2026, the company announced that it will share final results from the trial in November.
Latest trial phase: Discontinued
Next steps: N/A
New updates: Yes
Ceperognastat is an experimental pill designed to target tau. Eli Lilly published the results of its Phase 2 trial which showed that while the drug lowered tau, it failed to slow cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s. The drug is no longer being developed.
Drug maker: Priavoid
Latest trial phase: Phase 2
Next steps: Completing Phase 2 trial this year
New updates: Yes
PRI-002 is a pill that chops up plaques into smaller pieces of beta-amyloid. At AAIC, the company presented preliminary results from an ongoing Phase 2 trial of 304 people with early Alzheimer’s, finding no risk of ARIA, brain swelling or microhemorrhages that are a common side effect of other anti-amyloid antibodies. The trial is set to finish at the end of the year.
Drug maker: Alzheon
Latest trial phase: Completed Phase 3
Next steps: Designing additional trial
New updates: Yes
Alzheon’s pill, ALZ-801, designed to prevent beta-amyloid plaque formation, failed to slow cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s and two copies of ApoE4. Some modest benefits were observed in participants with MCI, but the trial was not designed to confirm efficacy in this subgroup. The company is in talks with regulators and weighing next steps. At AAIC, it showed more data suggesting the drug could lower biomarkers of Alzheimer’s.
Anti-Amyloid, Anti-Tau, and Other Antibody Drugs in Trials
Drug maker: Eisai and Biogen
Latest trial phase: Phase 2 and 3
Next steps: Completion of trials in late 2026/2027
New updates: Yes
Etalanetug is an anti-tau antibody. In a small early-stage trial of eight people with a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease, the drug stopped more tau from forming and lowered the levels of tau biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood over nine months. The drug is also being tested alongside anti-amyloid drug Leqembi across two different trials. READ MORE.
Drug maker: Eli Lilly
Latest trial phase: Approved by the FDA
Next steps: Completion of trials in late 2026/2027
New updates: Yes
Kisunla is one of two approved anti-amyloid drugs. At AAIC, the company shared more data from its Phase 3 trial that followed more than 150 participants who hadn’t cleared out beta-amyloid by the end of the initial trial. They received the drug for another year and a half, and more than half managed to substantially clear amyloid over that period safely.
Drug maker: Eisai and Biogen
Latest trial phase: Injectable form approved by FDA
Next steps: Ongoing studies to assess long-term impact
New updates: Yes
An at-home starting dose of injectable Leqembi was approved by the FDA in July. Meanwhile, data presented at AAIC following over 400 people taking Leqembi for an average of 17 months found that more than 80 percent remained cognitively stable.
Drug maker: Roche
Latest trial phase: Completed Phase 1/2 trial
Next steps: The company is planning a Phase 3 trial
New updates: Yes
At AAIC Roche shared more data from the extension of its 149-person phase 1/2 trial which supported the launch of its Phase 3 trials. It also presented the design of a preventative trial of the drug in people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Gene Therapy for Alzheimer’s
Drug maker: Biogen
Latest trial phase: Completed Phase 2
Next steps: Phase 3 Trial
New updates: Yes
Diranersen is a tau-silencing gene therapy, delivered via intraspinal injection, that prevents the formation of tau proteins. The Phase 2 trial of 416 participants with early Alzheimer’s was presented at AAIC. The drug failed to meet its primary goal of showing a dose-response, by which higher doses equal more cognitive slowing. However, the drug showed that it may slow cognitive decline and tau enough that the company is moving forward with a Phase 3 trial.
Drug maker: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Latest trial phase: Announced Phase 2 trial
Next steps: Completion of Phase 2
New updates: Yes
At AAIC, Alnylam announced a Phase 2 study of their gene silencing therapy that would target amyloid in people with Down Syndrome. Because of an extra copy of chromosome 21, they accumulate more amyloid and develop a genetic form of Alzheimer’s. The trial will enroll 58 participants and is slated to finish in 2030.
Drugs Being Tested for Alzheimer’s Cognitive Symptoms
Drug maker: Karuna Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb
Latest trial phase: Four Phase 3 trials
Next steps: Completion of the first Phase 3 trial this year
New updates: Yes
KarXT, an approved schizophrenia drug, is being tested for Alzheimer’s as well. The drug activates the same pathways in the brain as the neurochemical acetylcholine, which is crucial for memory and cognition.
Since the brain isn’t producing enough acetylcholine in Alzheimer’s, drugmakers speculate that KarXT could help it compensate. Drugmakers are testing it across four phase 3 trials to assess its effects on agitation, psychosis and cognitive symptoms. The initial readout of the results was delayed due to problems with some of the trial sites. READ MORE.
Latest trial phase: Completed Phase 2/3 trial
Next steps: Presenting data
New updates: No
Originally developed for sleep disorders, piromelatine may offer cognitive benefits to certain people with mild Alzheimer’s. Results from Neurim Pharmaceuticals’ Phase 2/3 trial which was completed earlier this year have not been presented by the company.
Drugs Being Tested for Psychiatric Symptoms
DruiDrug maker: Axsome Therapeutics
Latest trial phase: Phase 3
Next steps: Approved by the FDA
New updates: Yes
On April 30, Axsome Therapeutics’s Auvelity got the green light from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), becoming the second medication approved for treating Alzheimer’s agitation. Unlike the antipsychotic Rexulti (generic name: brexpiprazole), which was approved in 2024 after showing a small benefit on agitation symptoms, it doesn’t seem to increase mortality risk.
Drug maker: IGC Pharma
Latest trial phase: Ongoing Phase 2 trial
Next steps: Completion of Phase 2 trial
New updates: No
In a 164-person Phase 2 trial, this oral, cannabinoid-based agitation drug showed slight improvements at six weeks, but more research is needed to determine efficacy. The company has recruited 70 percent of participants for the trial. It is set to conclude in 2026.
Next steps: Phase 3
New updates: Yes
At AAIC, researchers showed that a formulation of cannabis-derived compounds THC and CBD provided rapid agitation relief for participants with advanced dementia who qualified for hospice care. The 120 participant Phase 2 study suggests that the treatment effects are sustained over time, though a confirmatory trial is needed.
Medical Devices in Alzheimer’s Trials
Device maker: Cognito Therapeutics
Latest trial phase: Ongoing Phase 3 trial
Next steps: Completion of Phase 3 trial in 2026
New updates: Yes
Last year, Cognito announced that its brain-stimulating light-and-sound headset, Spectris, showed lasting effects on brain volume and daily functioning in a preliminary study. Safety and efficacy results from its 670-person Phase 3 trial are expected this year. At AAIC, the company presented exploratory data suggesting the device might alter fat metabolism in the brain. The company raised another $105 million to help support its submission to regulators and commercialization.
Interactive learning guide: Is an Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Right for You?
Clinical trials are vital for testing the safety and effectiveness of dementia treatments. Too often, trial participant populations don’t reflect the communities most impacted by dementia. This guide explains the basics of enrolling in clinical trials.
Click on our interactive guide below to learn more about clinical trials
FAQs about Alzheimer’s clinical trials
The length of a trial typically depends on the phase. Phase 1 trials can last for a few months. Phase 2 trials typically run SIX to 18 months. Phase 3 trials usually run for 18 months to FOUR years. Some prevention trials, which enroll people without symptoms, run FOUR years or longer.
As of July 2026, 90 late-stage Alzheimer’s clinical trials are actively recruiting participants. They span anti-amyloid antibodies, anti-tau antibodies, gene therapies, small molecule drugs, GLP-1s, and brain-stimulation devices.
The FDA approved an at-home injectable starting dose of Leqembi, Biogen announced plans for a Phase 3 trial of the tau-silencing therapy diranersen, and a Phase 2 trial found that a THC and CBD formulation rapidly reduced agitation in people with advanced dementia.
