Goal

AMYPAD aimed to determine the value of ß-amyloid imaging as a diagnostic and therapeutic marker for Alzheimer’s disease.

3 main project objectives

Click on each section below to find out more about the main AMYPAD project objectives.

Diagnostic value: Usefulness of ß-amyloid imaging in patient management Diagnostic study #1590AF First, the project aimed at better understanding the impact of the utilization of amyloid PET imaging on diagnostic thinking and patient management.
The study recruited a large population cohort (n=844) of participants suspected of possible Alzheimer’s disease. A total of 245 people with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 342 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 258 with dementia were enrolled.

The primary objective was to measure the impact on patient management of early versus late utilization of amyloid PET imaging. Secondary objectives included the assessment of the impact of amyloid PET imaging on diagnosis, patient management, and health economics, patient-centered outcomes, and methods for image quantification.
Risk stratification: Natural history of disease and methods to enrich secondary prevention studies Prognostic study #2B599B Second, in order to define the optimal window of opportunity for secondary prevention of Alzheimer’s disease through ß-amyloid PET imaging, the project aimed to further understand the natural history of Alzheimer’s disease in its pre-dementia stage, ranging from cognitively normal, through subjective cognitive decline towards mild cognitive impairment.
To support this endeavour, AMYPAD developed a Europe-wide collaborative framework, establishing close collaborations with several study initiatives and parent cohorts, such as EPAD, EMIF-AD, ALFA+, and others. This way, AMYPAD investigated the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease in a longitudinal and multi-modal fashion.

Monitoring treatment: Quantifying patient-specific efficacy Proof of concept studies #514A89 Finally, AMYPAD selected people for treatment trials aiming at preventing Alzheimer’s disease by ensuring more homogeneous and appropriate enrolment.
The combined populations followed clinically and in up to 50% with longitudinal ß-amyloid imaging (focusing on those with borderline positive scans) to improve understanding of disease pathophysiology and establish relevant pre-trial information that facilitated clinical trial inclusion, reduced required sample size, and improved statistical power of the (imaging-related) outcomes. The ultimate goal was to establish predictors of decline to help in the planning and monitoring of treatment.
Diagnostic study First, the project aimed at better understanding the impact of the utilization of amyloid PET imaging on diagnostic thinking and patient management.
The study recruited a large population cohort (n=844) of participants suspected of possible Alzheimer’s disease. A total of 245 people with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 342 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 258 with dementia were enrolled.

The primary objective was to measure the impact on patient management of early versus late utilization of amyloid PET imaging. Secondary objectives included the assessment of the impact of amyloid PET imaging on diagnosis, patient management, and health economics, patient-centered outcomes, and methods for image quantification.
About the AMYPAD study
 

Originally scheduled to be a 60-month project in total, beginning 1 October 2016 and ending September 2021, the Amyloid imaging to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AMYPAD) project has been extended by 12 months to come to an end in September 2022. The project involved 15 academic and private research partners.

Led by VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, the AMYPAD consortium brought together a word-class team of highly synergistic partners from across Europe to form a pan- European network including the most active PET sites. This ensured effective access to patients and also maximisde exposure to technical knowledge and disease modelling.

To keep the project aligned with the current state-of-the-art of the field, regular interactions with external experts and complementary initiatives took place, allowing maximal leverage of novel knowledge into the AMYPAD project. The AMYPAD team has formed very fruitful international collaborations with Dr San Won Seo (Seoul, Korea) and Dr Gil Rabinovici (US). In addition, AMYPAD in its partnership with Aridhia worked hard to facilitate the data accessibility of the project. Also, the interaction of AMYPAD with regulatory agencies including EMA was crucial.