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Condition (MeSH)

Dementia

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 5,817 trials for Dementia or a narrower condition beneath it. Pfizer has the most among industry and government lead sponsors, with 67.

MeSH D003704 Nervous System Diseases C10 F03
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Phase 1 Phase 1 631 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 138 Phase 2 Phase 2 732 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 80 Phase 3 Phase 3 356 Phase 4 Phase 4 199 Not applicable Not applicable 2,367 Observational Observational 1,305 Phase 1 Phase 1 631 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 138 Phase 2 Phase 2 732 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 80 Phase 3 Phase 3 356 Phase 4 Phase 4 199 Not applicable Not applicable 2,367 Observational Observational 1,305

Trials per phase (log scale)

1 more section with rows

2,241 of the 5,817 trials are tagged with Dementia itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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The PDF carries up to 50 rows of each section, where the page shows the first few, with the sources listed. Enter a work email and confirm it from the message we send, and the report follows by email.

When did Dementia trials start? (36)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 16 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational

Top of scale: 411

1990: 1 trials (Observational 1) 1992: 3 trials (Observational 3) 1993: 1 trials (Observational 1) 1994: 2 trials (Observational 2) 1995: 9 trials (Observational 5, Phase 3 4) 1996: 4 trials (Not applicable 1, Phase 4 1, Phase 2 2) 1997: 6 trials (Observational 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 1 1) 1998: 5 trials (Observational 1, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 1) 1999: 18 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 1, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 6) 2000: 25 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 6, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 8, Phase 2 2, Phase 1 1) 2001: 29 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 5, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 11, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 1, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 1) 2002: 35 trials (Observational 9, Not applicable 3, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 8, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 7, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2003: 56 trials (Observational 16, Not applicable 4, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 17, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 8, Phase 1 2) 2004: 62 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 7, Phase 4 9, Phase 3 6, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 15, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 7) 2005: 78 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 11, Phase 4 11, Phase 3 9, Phase 2 23, Phase 1 6) 2006: 89 trials (Observational 16, Not applicable 13, Phase 4 13, Phase 3 5, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 23, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 14) 2007: 154 trials (Observational 30, Not applicable 26, Phase 4 13, Phase 3 16, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 22, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 39) 2008: 148 trials (Observational 23, Not applicable 20, Phase 4 14, Phase 3 17, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 30, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 39) 2009: 184 trials (Observational 40, Not applicable 31, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 19, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 37, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 43) 2010: 152 trials (Observational 25, Not applicable 43, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 15, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 22, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 32) 2011: 155 trials (Observational 36, Not applicable 39, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 7, Phase 2 41, Phase 1 24) 2012: 175 trials (Observational 41, Not applicable 54, Phase 4 9, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 32, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 20) 2013: 172 trials (Observational 38, Not applicable 66, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 16, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 15, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 24) 2014: 190 trials (Observational 42, Not applicable 74, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 13, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 24, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 24) 2015: 209 trials (Observational 39, Not applicable 78, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 6, Phase 2 33, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 30) 2016: 259 trials (Observational 62, Not applicable 114, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 11, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 28, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 31) 2017: 252 trials (Observational 54, Not applicable 115, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 12, Phase 1 23) 2018: 293 trials (Observational 60, Not applicable 137, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 12, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 42, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 30) 2019: 330 trials (Observational 74, Not applicable 160, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 11, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 35, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 31) 2020: 301 trials (Observational 67, Not applicable 143, Phase 4 4, Phase 3 14, Phase 2/3 6, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 13, Phase 1 25) 2021: 388 trials (Observational 104, Not applicable 183, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 14, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 36, Phase 1/2 12, Phase 1 33) 2022: 410 trials (Observational 111, Not applicable 196, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 19, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 40, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 27) 2023: 411 trials (Observational 113, Not applicable 210, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 35, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 26) 2024: 405 trials (Observational 95, Not applicable 214, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 10, Phase 2/3 5, Phase 2 36, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 33) 2025: 406 trials (Observational 83, Not applicable 222, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 19, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 40, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 30)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 334
2025 406
2024 405
2023 411
2022 410
2021 388
2020 301
2019 330
2018 293
2017 252

Showing 10 of 36 earlier years.

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Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 370 trials starting in 2026 and about 380 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 36 months from start to primary completion across 603 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 24 months across 3,402 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Dementia trials in? (9)

Shown in this order: phase order.

Show the trials by phase as a table
Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 631
Phase 1/2 138
Phase 2 732
Phase 2/3 80
Phase 3 356
Phase 4 199
Not applicable 2,367
Observational 1,305
Expanded access 9

How many Dementia trials are recruiting? (11)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 276
Recruiting 829
Enrolling by invitation 99
Active, not recruiting 245
Available 2

Showing 5 of 11 statuses.

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Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Dementia trials? (6)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
Pfizer 67
Eli Lilly and Company 58
National Institute on Aging (NIA) 46
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals 43
VA Office of Research and Development 36

Showing 5 of 6 sponsors.

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Which drugs are being tested for Dementia? (4)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
Flortaucipir F18 27
Lecanemab 17
AAB-001 16
Donanemab 15

Interventions as named in the registry (11)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
Donepezil HCI (drug) 130
memantine ER 56
Galantamine ER 40
F-18 florbetapir 40
Rivastigmine 5 cm^2 24

Showing 5 of 11 interventions.

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These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Dementia trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
Other 1,952 6
Positive for PDM and had PCC visit 1,775 1
Hospitalizations 1,178 4
Pneumonia 963 153
Death 960 72

Showing 5 of 10 adverse events.

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Which publications cover Dementia? (3,230)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Publications
Publication Journal Year Major topic
Systematic review of the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for improving quality of life of people with dementia. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science 2026 Yes
A counterbalanced crossover pilot study of a personalized smartphone reminder application for older adults with cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological rehabilitation 2026 Yes
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Tele-Counselling Program With Care Partners of Persons Living With Dementia: A Pilot Feasibility RCT. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society 2026 Yes
Self-efficacy change among diverse family caregivers in dementia care. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2026 Yes
Insulin Resistance and Blood Pressure Control on Cognitive Outcomes. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) 2026 Yes

Showing 5 of 3,230 publications.

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Sub-conditions in MeSH (9)

MeSH descendants one level down with at least one trial, most trials first.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence and rare-disease identity.

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