Preventive Tau Vaccine for People at Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Official title: FDA approved IND 29644: Multicenter Phase 1 Trial to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of Preventive Tau Vaccine, AV-1980R/A, in cognitively unimpaired preclinical AD participants.
Funded at Institute for Molecular Medicine · NIH-11378755 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study will test a preventive vaccine aimed at people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease but are not yet impaired.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Institute for Molecular Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntington Beach, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $4,923,453 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG092949-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378755 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., with biomarkers or risk factors) who consent to vaccination and follow-up assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without Alzheimer’s risk factors or those who do not respond to the vaccine may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a vaccine designed to prevent Alzheimer’s by targeting tau pathology in people who are cognitively normal but at risk. Researchers will enroll participants and monitor immune responses and safety after vaccination over time. The study aims to identify whether the vaccine can safely provoke an immune reaction that could reduce later brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s. If successful, this approach could pave the way for early prevention strategies before symptoms appear.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the vaccine could lower the risk or delay the onset of cognitive decline in people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior immunotherapy efforts in Alzheimer’s have shown safety signals but limited cognitive benefit, making this preventive approach innovative yet building on an established therapeutic strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Institute for Molecular Medicine
Huntington Beach, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Agadjanyan, Michael G — Institute for Molecular Medicine
- Study coordinator: Agadjanyan, Michael G
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.