# UK trial to test ADHD and diabetes drugs in 1,200 people with Alzheimer’s

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/hundreds-of-alzheimers-patients-to-get-adhd-drugs-in-world-leading-trial-studies-suggest-pills-could-tackle-dementia-symptoms/
- Published: 2026-10-22T15:59:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T16:28:22+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/health/article-16226855/Alzheimers-patients-ADHD-drugs.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Health, Medicine, World

## Key points

- UK researchers will test atomoxetine and metformin in Alzheimer’s patients.
- Ad-Smart aims to recruit 1,200 people at up to 20 NHS sites.
- Researchers hope the trial design will speed up treatment testing.

## Summary

A UK trial will test existing medicines, including the ADHD drug atomoxetine, to see whether they can ease symptoms or slow processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Its multi-drug design aims to speed up treatment research, which matters because current trials can take many years to show whether a medicine works.

The Ad-Smart trial will start with atomoxetine and the type 2 diabetes drug metformin, comparing them with a shared placebo group. It aims to recruit 1,200 people across up to 20 NHS sites over the next 18 months, with initial results expected by 2030; researchers will track participants using regular scans and blood tests. Alzheimer’s affects around 600,000 people in the UK.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.