Current and future clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease: Evolving ethical concerns

1. An increase in the cases of Alzheimer's disease, primarily consequent to the rapid growth of the elderly population necessitates the enhanced pace of anti-dementia drug development and an increase in clinical trials. Clini cal trials with persons with dementia, however, present with a number of et hical concerns that need to be anticipated and analyzed. 2. The present review first discusses some of the on-going and possible fut ure experimental approaches to antidementia drug development. 3. Some of the ethical concerns raised by anti-dementia drug research with human subjects are then examined. A few preliminary recommendations for fut ure directions are proposed. It is important to anticipate issues of ethica l and social concern and establish forums for appropriate bioethical analys is.