As someone who has worked extensively in Alzheimer’s disease research, CTAD has always represented a milestone moment each year, where science meets momentum, and the most promising data, toughest debates and boldest ideas in the field come together.
This year, the 18th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD 2025) conference will take place in San Diego, California, from December 1–4, 2025. Each year, CTAD brings together scientists, clinicians and industry innovators who share one goal: to transform the future of Alzheimer’s disease. And 2025’s meeting looks to be one of the most exciting yet.
A deeper, more diverse drug pipeline
As of January 2025, there are 182 active clinical trials testing 138 drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, including 48 in Phase 3, 86 in Phase 2 and 48 in Phase 1.¹
That’s a significant increase compared to just a few years ago, reflecting how the field has shifted from symptomatic relief to true disease-modifying strategies that target the biology of Alzheimer’s itself.
In my own research, I have always been keen to hear more about the multi-modal approach in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, therapies that go beyond amyloid or tau to also address inflammation, vascular factors and synaptic health.
CTAD 2025 is expected to feature late-stage readouts and early signals from repurposed drugs, particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are beginning to make their mark in neurodegeneration research.
Here are the five things I’m most looking forward to hearing about at CTAD 2025.
1. Trontinemab’s journey to phase III: The ‘BrainShuttle™’ revolution
One of the biggest spotlights at CTAD 2025 will shine on Trontinemab, Roche’s experimental monoclonal antibody engineered to improve brain delivery through its BrainShuttle™ technology.²
In early studies (the BrainShuttle AD trial), Trontinemab achieved rapid and deep amyloid reduction, with nearly all participants reaching amyloid-PET negativity after about 28 weeks, and a low ARIA-E rate (<5%).
These results have set the stage for two pivotal Phase III trials, TRONTIER 1 and TRONTIER 2, in individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
If these findings hold true, Trontinemab could represent the next evolution of antibody therapy, overcoming two long-standing challenges: limited brain penetration and ARIA risk.
2. From real-world data to clinical trials: semaglutide steps into Alzheimer’s
Another highly anticipated topic will be the EVOKE and EVOKE+ trials, testing semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist already approved for diabetes and obesity, in early Alzheimer’s disease.³
The rationale stems from fascinating real-world data showing that adults with type 2 diabetes treated with semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those on insulin.⁴
Now, these two Phase III trials are asking a bold question: can semaglutide actually slow cognitive decline and reduce brain pathology in non-diabetic patients with confirmed amyloid?
If successful, it could signal a breakthrough moment for drug repurposing in Alzheimer’s research, leveraging existing medications for new neuroprotective benefits.
3. Next-generation antibodies: moving past the ARIA barrier
Anyone following Alzheimer’s therapeutics knows that ARIA (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities) remains a significant hurdle for current anti-amyloid therapies like lecanemab and donanemab.
CTAD 2025 is expected to highlight next-generation antibodies, including bispecific structures like Trontinemab, that can maintain strong amyloid clearance while reducing the risk of ARIA.⁵
Researchers are also zeroing in on structural refinements, dose optimisation, and personalised monitoring protocols, all aimed at making these treatments safer and more accessible to patients worldwide.
4. ALZ-NET: real-world data for a new treatment era
As new Alzheimer’s therapies move into clinical practice, understanding their real-world performance becomes crucial.
That’s where ALZ-NET (Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics) comes in. Launched by the Alzheimer’s Association, ALZ-NET is the first U.S. national registry tracking outcomes, imaging and safety data for patients receiving new Alzheimer’s treatments.⁶
CTAD 2025 will feature the first public look at ALZ-NET findings, providing valuable insight into how these therapies perform beyond the clinical trial setting, and how to make them accessible to more diverse and representative populations.
5. Challenges and opportunities ahead
Despite tremendous progress, the field continues to grapple with long trial timelines, high costs, recruitment and retention barriers and questions about how generalisable clinical results are to real-world populations.
CTAD 2025 is expected to include important discussions on how to streamline study design, reduce participant burden, enhance diversity and embrace digital and remote tools to accelerate progress.⁷
Seeing the big picture
CTAD 2025 feels like a genuine inflection point for Alzheimer’s research.
The field is moving from single-target therapeutics toward multi-pathway, precision approaches that combine biologics with metabolic, vascular and lifestyle interventions.
For clinicians, patients and caregivers alike, the message is one of hope and momentum: innovation is accelerating, and researchers are learning not just how to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but how to bring those treatments safely and meaningfully into real-world care.
Final thoughts
Each year, CTAD captures a moment in the evolving story of Alzheimer’s research but 2025 stands out as a year of convergence and clarity. The science is maturing, the data is deepening and the path from discovery to real-world impact is becoming more defined.
The focus is no longer on if we can change the course of Alzheimer’s disease, but on how quickly and effectively we can bring those advances to the people who need them most.
By Dr Azhaar Ashraf
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