Economic value and access of new Alzheimer’s treatments for diverse communities
Measuring the Impact of the Value Flower and Unobserved Heterogeneity on the Cost Effectiveness and Use of Novel Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
This project looks at how costs, patient preferences, and community views shape who gets and benefits from new Alzheimer’s treatments, with special attention to Black/African American communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11338273 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We combine updated economic models and community input to understand access to new Alzheimer’s treatments. The team will update computer-based Markov models used for aducanumab and donanemab to include race-specific starting values and transition probabilities and calibrate simulations with Medicare data. Researchers will run focus groups with at-risk African American/Black older adults and caregivers in Richmond, VA, and collect survey preference data using discrete choice experiments. Those preference responses will be used in latent choice and mixed logit models to simulate treatment uptake, costs, and benefits across different populations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults—particularly African American/Black individuals at risk for or with early Alzheimer’s disease—and their caregivers who are willing to join focus groups or complete preference surveys.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer’s disease, those with very advanced dementia where early treatments are not relevant, or individuals outside the Richmond/United States context are unlikely to directly participate or benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help make treatment decisions and payment policies fairer and improve access to effective new Alzheimer’s therapies for underserved racial groups.
How similar studies have performed: Previous cost-effectiveness models exist for aducanumab and donanemab, but combining race-specific modeling with community-based focus groups and discrete choice experiments is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Atherly, Adam J — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Atherly, Adam J
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 below.