Alzheimer’s drug development pipeline shows impressive growth and diversity of therapies

Researcher Jeffrey L. Cummings M.D., ScD, from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, has released his annual report on the global effort to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. The work is published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.

In this, the tenth year of the report, Dr. Cummings and colleagues are encouraged by a 35% increase in the number of clinical trials and a 40% increase in therapies being tested since 2016. Significantly, 59 new trials entered the pipeline during the past year, signaling an increased confidence in the ability to develop drugs to slow the loss of memory.

“Alzheimer’s is no longer an untreatable disease,” says Dr. Cummings. “It is now a disease with treatments that successfully interfere in the disease process. In addition to the recently approved therapies, several novel compounds are reading out this year and could increase the number of treatments available for Alzheimer’s. The study of donanemab in cognitive normal people with blood tests positive for very early Alzheimer’s may be read out and will reveal if Alzheimer’s symptoms can be prevented or delayed in those with normal memory function.”

Looking back at previous pipeline summaries, Dr. Cummings says research in the field has shifted away from an amyloid dominant approach. In 2016, a third of all drugs in development targeted amyloids (dense protein clusters that accumulate in the brain). Today that figure has fallen to around 20%. Over the same period, inflammation/immune targeting drugs have risen from 6% to 18%. There is an increase in the diversity of disease processes that are being targeted by experimental agents, increasing optimism that new types of therapy for Alzheimer’s will be found.

“It is clear that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with many contributing elements,” Cummings says. “Inflammation is consistently present in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, and reducing the inflammatory response promises to slow the disease process. Researchers are seeking ways to complement the approved anti-amyloid therapies. The development of combination therapies is likely and combinations are being studied in current trials,” he said.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

The 2026 pipeline report highlights:

• 192 trials assessing 158 drugs (compared to 182 trials and 138 drugs in 2025 and 164 trials and 127 drugs in 2024).
• Amyloid targets comprise 18% of the pipeline, the same percent as in 2024.
• All stages of the Alzheimer’s continuum are represented in prevention trials, from those who are asymptomatic, to those who have mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer’s dementia.
• There are 56 repurposed agents in the pipeline this year, comprising 35% of total drugs. (Repurposed drugs have already been approved for other conditions, they’re known to be safe, and can reach the market sooner.)
• 29 Phase 2 trials will read out in 2026, providing insight into effects on multiple disease processes.
• The number of trials and drugs being studied has consistently increased across the decade.

Provided by
Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV