GSK, UK DRI, HDR UK Launch Dementia Research Initiative

GSK plc announced a major new research collaboration with the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) and Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) to advance understanding of neurodegeneration with a first-of-its-kind dementia study.

The innovative project aims to use the UK’s health data ecosystem to explore a potential association between GSK’s shingles vaccine, Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV), and a reduced risk of dementia. If successful, this could serve as a blueprint for population level health data research models, reinforcing the UK’s position as a leading destination for scientific research.

More than 55 million people worldwide have dementia, with cases increasing as the global population ages. Research to identify potential opportunities to reduce the risk of dementia is much needed but challenging given the multiple, complex factors which may contribute to the development of the disease.

Data from several retrospective observational studies show potential association between shingles vaccination, including with RZV, and a reduced risk of dementia. However, the retrospective and observational nature of these studies means they are susceptible to unmeasured confounding factors and determining causal association has not been possible.

The new research collaboration aims to overcome this by using high quality, deidentified, population-level electronic health data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) to assess the impact of RZV vaccination on dementia risk reduction. There are around 1.4 million 65 and 66 years olds in the UK and their eligible electronic health records are expected to give a robust and comprehensive dataset which will account for factors such as RZV vaccination, age, sex and co-existing medical conditions. The research will take 4 years to complete.

Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said: “GSK has a long-standing commitment to advancing science that tackles the most challenging health issues. The UK’s national scale health data resources provide a significant opportunity for cutting-edge research. We hope this world-class research collaboration will not only answer key questions to help reduce dementia risk but also pave the way for future data-led research to unravel the underlying causes of complex diseases so we can get ahead of them.”

 Science Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Dementia is one of the biggest challenges to health in our time, touching so many lives – which is why research to combat its devastating effects is so important. This is a wonderful example of the private sector working hand-in-hand with the public and third sector, leveraging the power of health data, to drive a greater understanding of how we might reduce the risk of dementia.”

Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, said: “Dementia represents one of the greatest challenges of our time, affecting millions of families across the UK and beyond. By working closely with the NHS in the four UK nations to ensure data privacy and security, we can enable prevention-focused research, deepen our understanding of disease and support the NHS in shifting from treating sickness to keeping people healthier for longer – helping them live better lives.”

Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director of UK Dementia Research Institute, said: “Through cross-disciplinary collaboration that combines cutting-edge research capabilities with data at scale, we hope to showcase the potential of UK health data to improve not only our fundamental understanding of dementia but to identify potential interventions that could have a transformational impact.”