Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are calling for participants for a federally funded clinical trial that could change the way early-stage Alzheimer’s disease is treated. The study focuses on benfotiamine, a synthetic, highly absorbable version of thiamine (vitamin B1), to see if it can stall the progression of cognitive decline.
Rutgers is one of approximately 40 sites across the U.S. and is currently the only location in New Jersey participating in the National Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) trial.
In patients with Alzheimer’s, brain cells often lose the ability to efficiently process glucose, the brain’s primary energy source. Thiamine is a critical component of this metabolic process.
“In people with Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells often struggle to process that fuel,” explained Fred Kobylarz, a professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the study’s principal investigator. “Benfotiamine works by significantly raising the levels of thiamine in the blood—up to 100 times higher than normal.”
By boosting these levels, researchers hope to:
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Help brain cells process energy more effectively.
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Reduce chronic inflammation.
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Prevent the buildup of “plaques and tangles”—harmful proteins that lead to permanent nerve cell damage.
This Phase 2 trial follows a smaller 2020 pilot study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. That trial followed 35 participants over 12 months and found that those taking benfotiamine experienced a rate of cognitive decline that was significantly slower compared to those on a placebo.
The new 18-month trial aims to validate these findings on a national scale, assessing whether the treatment preserves a patient’s ability to perform daily routines and maintain independence.
The Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center is seeking 10 to 15 New Jersey participants for the local arm of the study.
| Eligibility Criteria | Participation Requirements |
| Age: 50 to 89 years old | Take benfotiamine or placebo twice daily for 18 months |
| Diagnosis: Mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s | Attend clinic visits for memory tests and blood work |
| Stability: Steady on current medications for at least 3 months | Undergo periodic MRI scans for safety monitoring |
| Setting: Can live at home or in assisted living | Must have a study partner (family member or friend) |
With over seven million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and a growing number of younger-onset cases, the search for accessible, oral treatments is urgent. “This underscores the need for new treatment options for people living with this progressive disease,” Kobylarz said.
