The Probucol in Alzheimer’s (PIA) Study: A Fresh Approach to Alzheimer’s Research

Led by John Curtin Distinguished Professor John Mamo and his team at Curtin University, the Probucol in Alzheimer’s (PIA) Study is a 2-year Phase II multi-site randomised placebo-controlled trial running across Australia and New Zealand. Dr Virginie Lam (clinical trial program lead), Prof Roger Clarnette (lead geriatrician), and A/Prof Ryu Takechi are key investigators on the study.

PIA study Alzheimers Research Focus

Most current Alzheimer’s therapies focus on clearing amyloid plaques once they have already formed, an approach whose clinical benefits remain modest and widely debated. The PIA Study takes a different approach. Research by the team has identified compelling evidence that circulating lipid-amyloid complexes (fat-and-amyloid particles in the bloodstream) can damage the brain’s tiny blood vessels, triggering inflammation, neuronal loss, and the accumulation of amyloid plaques, ll recognised hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. By targeting these complexes before they reach the brain, the study aims to slow, or potentially prevent, disease progression.

About The Clinical Trial

The trial is investigating Probucol, a compound with an established safety profile and demonstrated neuroprotective benefits, in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Findings to date suggest Probucol may protect the brain’s blood vessels and help preserve memory and thinking. Supported by the Medical Research Future Fund, Multiple Sclerosis Western Australia, the McCusker Charitable Foundation, the Wen Giving Foundation, and the Perron Institute of Neurological and Translational Science, the study is actively recruiting across Perth (Curtin MRI, lead site), Adelaide (CALHN Cognitive Neurology Clinical Trials, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital), Hobart (Wicking Dementia Centre, University of Tasmania), and Christchurch (CGM Research Trust), marking an important step towards a potential new therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s.

For more information please email or phone:

Email: piastudy@curtin.edu.au
WEB: www.piastudy.com.au
MOB: +61 468 532 458