# Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) Open-Label Extension Study

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2022 · $6,943,250

## Abstract

SUMMARY: This is an application for NIH support to enable an Open Label Extension (OLE) of the Anti-
Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) Study. The A4 Study was launched in 2014 as
the first of its kind secondary prevention trial in clinically normal (CN) older individuals with evidence of
elevated amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation on screening PET scan. A4 eligible participants are in the preclinical
(asymptomatic) stages of AD and at high risk for cognitive decline. The overall goal of the A4 study is to test
the hypothesis that immunotherapy targeting Aβ (solanezumab) can prevent the cognitive decline associated
with early AD pathology, if initiated early enough. The A4 Study screened over 6700 participants (age 65-85,
14% minority) and exceeded our enrollment target with 1169 participants randomized. Our initial prediction of
30% “amyloid positivity” was proven correct with 29.5% of the participants with screening PET meeting
“elevated amyloid” criteria. We also launched the companion Longitudinal Evaluation of Amyloid Risk and
Neurodegeneration (LEARN) observational study in “amyloid negative” CN (n=541) in 2015. Based on the sola
trial results in AD dementia, we quadrupled the dose and extended the double-blind (DB) protocol to 4.5 years.
The first A4 participant will complete the DB protocol in early 2019, with the last participant completing in mid-
2022. Maintaining the blind of the initial treatment assignment, the A4 OLE will enable us to continue to assess
these participants after they complete the DB, and to investigate the long-term effects of sola exposure on
cognitive and functional decline in preclinical AD. In addition, we will explore the “critical window” for optimal
response to anti-Aβ therapy utilizing amyloid PET, MRI, and tau PET (in a subset) acquired at start of OLE.
The A4 Study is a public-private-philanthropic partnership with funding from NIA, Lilly, Alzheimer’s Association,
Fidelity Biosciences, GHR Foundation, and the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP). Here we seek
partial funding from the NIH for the A4 OLE with Lilly providing the remainder of funding and in-kind support.
This funding will allow us to offer all of the very dedicated A4 participants access to study drug in the OLE, and
continue to collect extremely valuable longitudinal data on the largest available cohort of CN characterized by
amyloid status, until the primary efficacy analyses are completed in late 2022. We have already begun to share
the data and biosamples from the A4 screening data, and the A4/LEARN longitudinal data will be made
publicly available within one year of completion of the primary efficacy analyses of the A4 Study. The A4 Study
is well positioned to rigorously test the amyloid hypothesis with a higher dose of solanezumab and at the
appropriate stage of disease, in a population estimated to be up to 15 years earlier in the Aβ accumulation
process than the previous AD dementia trials. The additional longi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10358480
- **Project number:** 5R01AG063689-03
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul S. Aisen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $6,943,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-15 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10358480

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10358480, Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) Open-Label Extension Study (5R01AG063689-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10358480. Licensed CC0.

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