Common medicines that might prevent Alzheimer's in older adults
Official title: Repurposing drugs for Alzheimer´s disease using a reverse translational approach
Funded at Karolinska Institute · NIH-11164646 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether medicines commonly taken by people aged 65 and older can slow aging processes and reduce Alzheimer’s-related changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Karolinska Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Solna, Sweden) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $484,519 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG067996-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11164646 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future clinical testing would be adults aged 65 or older, especially those at higher risk for Alzheimer’s or with early cognitive changes.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced Alzheimer’s dementia or severe late-stage neurodegeneration are unlikely to benefit from prevention-focused treatments.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze health records and drug use among people aged 65+ in Sweden to identify which of the 20 most-used drug classes link to slower biological aging or lower Alzheimer’s markers. They will combine these population analyses with laboratory experiments using disease models and human-derived samples to check effects on Aβ and tau pathology. Because the candidate drugs are already approved for other conditions, promising options could move more quickly into trials aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could repurpose safe, already-approved medications to delay or reduce Alzheimer’s in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies of anti-aging interventions have reduced Alzheimer’s-like pathology, but using existing medicines to prevent Alzheimer’s in people remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Karolinska Institute
Solna, Sweden Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hagg, Sara — Karolinska Institute
- Study coordinator: Hagg, Sara
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.