Research Advances to Watch
August 12, 2026
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SUMMARY
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FULL REPORT
There are many exciting advances in Alzheimer’s disease research and treatments in 2026.
On the research side, early blood tests for diagnosis are a major focus. Additionally, many researchers are studying lifestyle and immune-based interventions. Several universities are working to better understand Alzheimer’s as a disease. We still do not know the cause of Alzheimer’s.
In this report, I am focusing on treatment advances. Let’s begin by reviewing lecanemab and donanemab.
A retrospective study of patients in the United States treated with lecanemab for an average of 17 months reported that 75.9% remained in the same disease stage and 6.6% improved. There were no significant adverse effects beyond those reported in clinical trials. Since early Alzheimer’s disease often progresses slowly, and the study had no untreated comparison group, these figures describe how treated patients fared, not how much stability lecanemab caused.
As a patient removed from lecanemab after 18 infusions due to frequent side effects (chills, shivers, and muscle pain), I am a tad skeptical about the overall benefit of the drug.
Lecanamab has recently received approval for self-injection using an autoinjector that the patient or a caregiver can use for subcutaneous injection. This new treatment method is called LEQEMBI IQLIK (pronounced “i-click”). This is a huge advancement for patient convenience.
Clinicians may consider stopping donanemab after amyloid PET confirms a reduction to minimal plaque levels. In the pivotal program, 47% of treated participants met the trial’s PET completion criteria by 12 months and 69% by 18 months. Reaching a PET threshold is not the same as a cure or proof of clinical stability, and amyloid can reaccumulate. Lilly is studying whether infrequent maintenance dosing could keep amyloid low.1
Both lecanemab and donanemab are not cures; they do not restore lost memory, and they may not produce a noticeable day-to-day difference for every patient. I noticed a progression of the disease during the eight months I received lecanemab infusions.
Lecanemab and donanemab can modestly reduce the average rate of decline in carefully selected people with early, amyloid-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease. Whether that potential benefit is worth the MRI surveillance, infusion or injection burden, ARIA and hemorrhage risk, uncertainty, and cost is a decision each patient must make.
Trontnemab
I have previously reported (here and here) that Trontinemab is designed to improve delivery of an anti-amyloid antibody across the blood-brain barrier using a transferring-receptor brain shuttle. Early trial data is promising. In my layperson opinion, I believe crossing the blood-brain barrier is the key for a successful anti-amyloid antibody therapy.
The Phase 3 TRONTIER studies in early Alzheimer’s disease patients are underway, enrolling roughly 1,600 participants across two identical trials, with primary completion estimated in 2028.2
Tau-Directed Therapies
Many new Alzheimer's drugs target tau because tau tangles track closer to actual memory loss and brain decline than amyloid plaques do. While current anti-amyloid medications are designed to clear amyloid plaques, they offer only modest benefits. Scientists hope tau-focused therapies will better stop nerve cell destruction.
Posdinemab: an investigational anti-tau monoclonal antibody that was developed by Johnson & Johnson. However, development was discontinued after clinical trials showed it failed to slow cognitive decline. 3
Bepranemab: an investigational, humanized monoclonal antibody designed to target the mid-region of the tau protein, developed as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease. While a major Phase 2 trial missed its broad primary endpoint, imaging data showed it significantly slowed cortical tau accumulation. 4
Etalanetug (E2814): an investigational anti-microtubule-binding region (MTBR) tau monoclonal antibody. Developed by Eisai and University College London, it is designed to block the spread of toxic tau protein tangles in the brain. 5
Diranersen (BIIB080): an investigational antisense oligonucleotide therapy developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and licensed by Biogen to target microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) mRNA, aiming to reduce tau protein production in early Alzheimer's disease. I have previously reported on Diranersen.
Presymptomatic Treatment and Risk-Reduction Trials
AHEAD 3-45: a global clinical trial testing lecanemab to see if it can slow cognitive decline and brain changes during the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease in adults aged 55 to 80 who have no outward memory symptoms.6
TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 3: an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating whether the donanemab can prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms. 7
Tau NextGen: a worldwide Phase II/III clinical research study led by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU) at Washington University. It tests combination therapies using lecanemab and the anti-tau antibody etalanetug (E2814) to treat genetic Alzheimer's disease.8
If you know of a drug I missed, please let me know, and I will update this report.
Before I go, I want to share a link to Greg Rowland’s Alzheimer’s Journey published yesterday. If you can contribute, it would mean the world to me. If not, please share the post on your social media networks. Thanks!
Zimmer JA, Sims JR, Evans CD, et al. Donanemab in early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease: results from the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 long-term extension. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2026;13(2):100446. doi:10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100446.
ClinicalTrials.gov. Phase 3 Study of Trontinemab in Participants With Early Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease (NCT07169578). Accessed July 11, 2026.
Johnson & Johnson. Statement on the Auτonomy study of posdinemab. November 21, 2025. Sponsor statement.
UCB. Phase 2a TOGETHER study results for bepranemab. October 31, 2024. Sponsor news release.
Eisai Co., Ltd. Early etalanetug (E2814) biomarker findings presented at CTAD 2025. December 2, 2025. Sponsor news release.
Rafii MS, Sperling RA, Donohue MC, Zhou J, Roberts C, Irizarry MC, Dhadda S, Sethuraman G, Kramer LD, Swanson CJ, Li D, Krause S, Rissman RA, Walter S, Raman R, Johnson KA, Aisen PS. The AHEAD 3-45 Study: Design of a prevention trial for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Apr;19(4):1227-1233. doi: 10.1002/alz.12748. Epub 2022 Aug 15. PMID: 35971310; PMCID: PMC9929028.
Yaari R, Holdridge KC, Williamson M, Wessels AM, Shcherbinin S, Kotari V, Reiman EM, Tariot PN, Alexander R, Langbaum JB, Sims JR. Donanemab in preclinical Alzheimer's disease: Screening and baseline data from TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 3. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Sep;21(9):e70662. doi: 10.1002/alz.70662. PMID: 40955720; PMCID: PMC12439032.
Schneider LSS, Llibre‐Guerra JJ, Clifford DB, Mills S, Wang G, Li D, Benzinger TLS, Gordon BA, McDade E, Dhadda S, Irizarry MC, Reyderman L, Bateman RJ. DIAN‐TU‐001 Trial (Tau NexGen) Rationale and Enrollment Experience. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Dec 25;21(Suppl 5):e105298. doi: 10.1002/alz70859_105298. PMCID: PMC12741488.