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Kerwin Medical Center outlines Alzheimer’s clinical trials, recruitment and barriers
Summary
Dr. Zed Shaw of Kerwin Medical Center told the Dallas Senior Affairs Commission about disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatments, the role of clinical trials and local recruitment efforts; speakers discussed underrepresentation of Black participants and cost and access questions.
Dr. Zed Shaw, a clinician-researcher with Kerwin Medical Center, briefed the Dallas Senior Affairs Commission on recent advances in Alzheimer’s research, the role of clinical trials and how the center recruits trial participants.
Shaw told the commission that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and that age is the greatest risk factor. He described recent drug approvals as a shift from symptomatic therapy to treatments that target biologic changes in the brain, and he urged local participation in clinical trials to accelerate research and improve representation.
"In 2021 we had our first FDA-approved medication, aducanumab," Shaw said. "In 2024 we had lecanemab, and clinical trials show it slowed cognitive and functional decline by about 27 percent over the course of 18 months." He described both aducanumab and lecanemab as monoclonal antibodies that bind misfolded protein in the brain and said other similar drugs such as donanemab were awaiting or undergoing regulatory review.
Shaw explained how clinical trials work and where Kerwin participates in the process. "Kerwin Medical Center does phase 1 through 4 trials," he said, summarizing the goals of each phase: safety and dosage (phase 1), effectiveness (phase 2), larger confirmatory studies (phase 3) and post-market surveillance (phase 4). He said the site had directly recruited participants for the trials that supported recent approvals.
Commissioners and attendees asked about barriers to recruitment. Shaw and other speakers said community education and trust-building are the primary obstacles. Shaw noted longstanding underrepresentation of African Americans in clinical trials and introduced two local participants whose experiences he said illustrated the potential benefits of trial participation: Gail Youngdaile, who has been a participant for more than four years, and her daughter and advocate, Terry Youngdaile.
Terry Youngdaile was described by Shaw as an active advocate and the person who encouraged her mother to enroll; Shaw said Gail’s scans showed reduced misfolded protein after treatment, which the presenter characterized as a meaningful slowing of disease progression though not a cure. "She has improved in everyday tasks and the family reported appreciable differences," Shaw said.
Attendees also raised questions about cost, insurer coverage and commercialization. Shaw said the recently approved monoclonal antibodies are administered by infusion (typically monthly) and "costs are multiple thousands of dollars and depend on insurance coverage;" he did not provide a single price figure. On funding, Shaw said Kerwin’s trials are primarily funded by pharmaceutical sponsors rather than federal university grants.
The presentation concluded with outreach recommendations: community events, partnerships with long-term care facilities and physician referrals. Shaw said Kerwin offers free memory screenings at its Walnut Hill (Presbyterian Hospital) and Oak Cliff (Lancaster Road) locations and encouraged clinicians and commissioners to refer potential participants or publicize screenings and movie‑event outreach.
Commissioners who raised questions requested follow-up contact information and proposed additional outreach through neighborhood newsletters, Parks & Rec bulletin boards and veterans’ organizations.
The commission neither voted on nor took formal action on Shaw’s presentation; staff agreed to circulate Kerwin contact details and materials for local distribution.
