UKDTN was proud to participate in the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026, held in London. Bringing together more than 10,000 researchers, clinicians, industry leaders and healthcare professionals from across the globe, AAIC remains the world’s largest and most influential conference dedicated to advancing dementia research.

UKDTN International Advisory Board convenes for the first time

A major milestone during the conference was the inaugural meeting of the UKDTN International Advisory Board. Chaired by Professor Jeff Cummings and co-chaired by Professor Reisa Sperling, the Board brings together internationally recognised leaders in dementia research to provide strategic guidance, helping ensure that UKDTN remains aligned with global scientific priorities while supporting innovation in clinical trial delivery.

Celebrating the strength of the UK’s dementia research ecosystem

UKDTN was delighted to co-host Celebrating Promise and Progress: A UK Dementia Research Community Reception alongside Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK), Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), LifeArc, The BARBARA Alliance, the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) and Race Against Dementia.

The reception showcased the breadth and strength of the UK’s collaborative dementia research landscape, highlighting the shared commitment across charities, academia, the NHS, industry and government to accelerate the development of new treatments. Guests were welcomed by Lord Vallance, who emphasised the importance of partnership and collaboration in addressing one of society’s greatest healthcare challenges.

Leadership on the international stage

We also congratulate our Director, Professor Catherine Mummery, who served as Chair of the AAIC 2026 Scientific Program Committee. In this role, Professor Mummery led the development of an outstanding scientific programme that showcased the latest advances across the full spectrum of dementia research.

Promising advances in Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics

AAIC 2026 also featured encouraging developments in Alzheimer’s disease drug development. Among the most anticipated presentations were the topline results from Biogen’s Phase 2 CELIA study, delivered by Prof. Cath Mummery. The study evaluated diranersen (BIIB080), an investigational tau-targeting antisense oligonucleotide for early Alzheimer’s disease.

The results demonstrated robust reductions in tau biomarkers alongside encouraging evidence of slower cognitive decline across all dose groups, supporting Biogen’s decision to advance diranersen into Phase 3 clinical development. These findings represent another important step forward in the growing pipeline of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Looking ahead

Events such as AAIC demonstrate that accelerating progress in dementia research depends on strong international collaboration between academia, healthcare systems, industry, charities, regulators and, most importantly, people living with dementia and their families.

We would like to thank everyone we had the opportunity to meet throughout the week. We look forward to building on these conversations and continuing to work with partners across the world to making UK the go-to destination for early-phase dementia clinical trials.