Re:Cognition Health and Cera Partner to Boost Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Access via Home-Based Digital Health
A major strategic collaboration has been announced between Re:Cognition Health, a leader in neurodegenerative research, and Cera, a digital home healthcare provider, to significantly expand access to clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related conditions for older adults. Unveiled in February 2026, this partnership merges specialist clinical expertise with technology-driven community care, aiming to identify and enrol potential participants earlier and more equitably.
This initiative employs a novel MedTech-led approach to tackle persistent obstacles in Alzheimer’s research: the under-representation of older adults, delayed diagnosis, and barriers to trial participation. By integrating specialist cognitive assessments with real-world data captured within the home environment, the collaboration seeks to transform participant identification, assessment, and enrolment processes.
Integrating Digital Home Care and Clinical Research
Re:Cognition Health operates a network of specialist brain and memory clinics crucial for cutting-edge neurodegenerative research, including international trials that contributed to the development of disease-modifying therapies like lecanemab and donanemab.
In contrast, Cera provides technology-enabled home healthcare visits at scale, facilitating over 2.5 million monthly interactions between carers, nurses, and patients. These interactions generate rich, real-time data on daily functioning and cognitive health, using digital tools to capture insights often missed in traditional clinic settings.
With patient consent, Cera’s platform can flag patterns indicative of early cognitive decline. This allows for timely referrals for specialist memory assessment and potential trial recruitment, intercepting disease progression earlier than conventional methods.
Dr. Ben Maruthappu, CEO and Founder of Cera, notes that this home-based model "bridges the gap between the community and the clinic, offering older adults a seat at the table of global drug discovery where they feel most comfortable in their own daily lives.”
Technology: A Catalyst for Inclusion and Early Detection
Technologically, the partnership reflects a growing trend in neurodegenerative research: utilising digital biomarkers and longitudinal, real-world data to enhance trial readiness and inclusivity.
Traditional recruitment for Alzheimer trials often requires travel to specialist centres, posing significant barriers for individuals with mobility challenges, geographic limitations, or socioeconomic constraints. Data repeatedly show that older adults, particularly those 75 and above, are dramatically under-represented in UK clinical research despite being the most affected demographic.
Cera's ecosystem continuously monitors indicators of functional and cognitive status, from routine activity patterns to subtle shifts in memory. The supporting technology enables remote monitoring and data capture, and crucially, facilitates secure, consented data sharing with cognition specialists, fostering earlier engagement in research pathways. This aligns with broader UK initiatives, such as the Dementia Trials Accelerator, focused on digitising and accelerating clinical trials.
Implications for Trial Design and MedTech Innovation
The collaboration has the potential to reshape the design of clinical trials for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Recent therapeutic advances necessitate earlier detection and intervention. While companies like Cognition Therapeutics advance novel oral agents such as zervimesine (CT1812), trial recruitment remains a critical bottleneck, especially for studies requiring diverse, real-world populations. Integrating digital data capture into routine care could accelerate candidate identification, refine screening, and enrich trial cohorts to better reflect the affected population.
Furthermore, integrating home-based data streams with specialist clinical evaluation supports adaptive trial designs and remote patient monitoring, which are gaining traction in both MedTech and clinical research. These approaches can enhance compliance, reduce participant burden, and yield richer data for treatment analysis.
Prioritising Equity and Accessibility
Beyond technology, the partnership fundamentally prioritises equity and accessibility. Decisions on research participation will be driven by clinical suitability, eliminating barriers imposed by geography, mobility, or access to specialist care, factors that have historically limited trial diversity.
All studies facilitated are free to join, with reimbursed expenses and ongoing clinical oversight, thus lowering financial and logistical burdens for participants and their families.
A MedTech-Driven Future for Neurodegenerative Research
The partnership between Re:Cognition Health and Cera exemplifies a paradigm shift where innovation, care delivery, and clinical research converge in neurodegenerative disease. By leveraging digital health technologies, real-world evidence, and community-based care, this collaboration aims to accelerate clinical trial participation, enhance early detection, and support the development of next-generation treatments. This MedTech-enabled model is key to bridging the gap between everyday care and scientific discovery, bringing research opportunities closer to people's homes and earlier in their health journeys.
