Sleep drug tested to stop Alzheimer's before it starts
NCT ID NCT04629547
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This study tests whether taking the sleep medication suvorexant (Belsomra) nightly for two years can slow the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers will enroll 200 healthy adults aged 65 and older with no signs of dementia. The goal is to see if improving sleep can reduce Alzheimer's risk.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- suvorexant (Belsomra)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to delay or prevent Alzheimer's by improving sleep.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early phase 2 trial with only 200 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The drug may not slow brain changes, and sleep aids can have side effects like drowsiness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2022
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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65 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female. * Any race or ethnicity. * Participants must be age ≥65 years and able to sign informed consent. * Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0. * Willing and able to undergo study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * History of reported symptoms suggestive of restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy or other central disorder of hypersomnolence, or parasomnia * STOP-Bang score \>6 for participants without PAP * Untreated OSA with AHI ≥15 on home sleep test * Treated sleep apnea with PAP non-compliance * PAP compliance is defined as \>= 4 hours per night \>70% of the nights * Plasma A-beta and tau test with a plasma p-tau 217% ≤ 1.19 * Stroke. * Chronic kidney disease defined as patients with markers of kidney damage or eGFR of \< 45 ml/min/1.73m2. * Hepatic impairment defined as AST and/or ALT \> 2x upper limit of normal (normal limits AST: 11-47 IU/L, ALT: 6-53 IU/L). * HIV/AIDS. * History of substance abuse or alcohol abuse in the proceeding 6 months. * Regular alcohol consumption 3 or more days a week over the last 6 months. Regular alcohol consumption is defined as having more than 2 alcoholic beverages within 3 hours of bedtime. Participants that agree to reduce alcohol consumption during the study may not be excluded. * History of presence of any clinically significant medical condition, behavioral or psychiatric disorder, or surgical history based on medical record or participant report that could affect the safety of the participant or interfere with study assessments or in the judgement of the Principal-Investigator (PI) if participant is not a good candidate. * Has any medical condition that, in the PI's opinion, could increase risk to the participant, limit the participant's ability to tolerate the research procedures, or interfere with the collection/analysis of the data. Potential medical conditions that will be exclusionary at the PI's discretion: * Cardiovascular disease requiring medication except for controlled hypertension. * Pulmonary disease. * Type I diabetes. * Neurologic or psychiatric disorder requiring medication. * Tobacco use. * Use of sedating medications. * Use of medications that interact with suvorexant (if cannot be discontinued) * Abnormal safety labs * History of current suicidal ideations. * Currently pregnant or breast-feeding. * In the opinion of the PI, the participant should be excluded due to an abnormal physical examination. * Must not have participated in any clinical trial involving a study drug or device within the 30-days prior to study enrollment. * Must not participate in another drug or device study prior to the end of this study participation. Exclusion criteria for optional lumbar punctures -• Contraindication to lumbar puncture (anticoagulants; bleeding disorder; allergy to lidocaine or disinfectant; prior central nervous system or lower back surgery).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Washington University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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