NCT07210528

Safety Of Nrtis for Alzheimer's Therapeutic Advancement in Singapore Study

A Phase 1b, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety of Emtricitabine and Descovy in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (estimated)
• Sponsor: National University Hospital, Singapore · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Recent studies have identified an association between Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and an expansion of DNA content in the brain (prefrontal cortex). This additional DNA content appears to be derived from reverse transcriptase (RT) activity that incorporates genomic cDNAs (gencDNAs) into chromosomes, resulting in multiple copies of full length and shorter cDNAs involving many genes - including the causal AD gene amyloid precursor protein (APP). Accumulation of these APP gencDNAs is associated with AD. This identifies RT as a promising therapeutic target for the attenuation of AD progression through existing reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTi's) that have been widely used for treating HIV and hepatitis B. Since this class of drugs has been in the clinic for over 3 decades, there are significant data supporting their post-approval safety for long-term use. However, this has not been specifically addressed in the target population - patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly women - who are underrepresented in HIV datasets. This proposed Phase I safety trial will perform a Special Population Study in a cohort of MCI patients who may benefit from the intervention. This study aims to (1) evaluate the safety and tolerability of standard dose FTC or Descovy for 3 months in MCI patients; (2) as secondary aims, collect preliminary data on clinical effects of standard dose FTC or Descovy compared to placebo for 3 months on cogntiive function in MCI patients; and (3) collect preliminary data on clinical effects of standard dose FTC or Descovy compared with placebo on AD-associated inflammatory markers. Participants will be randomized into either Descovy or FTC arms in equal numbers, and receive either active drug or placebo. Participants will orally ingest 1 capsule or tablet (depending on drug arm) daily for the 3 month participation period. The investigators hypothesise that MCI are not at increased risk of adverse effects due to administration of standard dose FTC or Descovy.

Conditions

• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
• Alzheimer Dementia (AD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Emtricitabine (FTC)	Capsule, 200mg FTC. White Opaque Body / Light Blue Opaque Cap with "GILEAD" and Gilead logo on body. "200 mg" on cap printed in black.
DRUG	Descovy® (TAF/FTC)	Emtricitabine (FTC) 200 mg / Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) 25 mg. Tablets, Rectangular-Shaped, Debossed, Film-coated blue.
DRUG	Placebo to Match Emtricitabine 200mg/Tenofovir Alafenamide 25 mg.	Placebo to Match Emtricitabine 200mg/Tenofovir Alafenamide 25mg. Tablets, Rectangular-Shaped, Debossed, Film-Coated Blue.
DRUG	Placebo Capsules to Match Emtricitabine Capsules, 200mg.	White Opaque Body/Light Blue Opaque Cap with "GILEAD" and Gilead logo on body, "200 mg" on cap printed in black.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-30
• Primary completion: 2026-03-01
• Completion: 2026-04-01
• First posted: 2025-10-07
• Last updated: 2025-10-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Singapore