NEW JERSEY (WABC) — November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, bringing attention to a disease that affects more than 6.7 million people in the United States.

There is no cure for this disease, but there is now some hope for people and their families who are battling the disease.

“I knew I couldn’t sit in a corner and cry, but I wanted to see if I could get better,” said Jerry Bello, a clinical trial patient.

Jerry, a two-master’s degree holder, environmental consultant, husband and father, went to be tested for Alzheimer’s disease at the request of his wife Nadine.

“When I started noticing repetitive things, forgotten things, I said, ‘Let’s get checked out.’ And we went to a neurologist, and he tested positive, you know, he had the gene of dementia, and there was amyloid plaque formation in the brain at that time,” said Nadine Bello, Jerry’s wife. “So I said, well, what do we do now? I don’t want him to get worse. And the neurologist gave us Dr. Papka’s name.”

Dr. Michelle Papka is the founder of the Cognitive Research Center of New Jersey.

She has been a principal investigator in more than 35 recent clinical trials in age-related cognitive disorders.

Last year, Jerry enrolled in a double-blind study of a new drug called Kisunla.

“This is actually the first time in my clinical trials career, which has spanned over 30 years, that we have helped bring to market a drug that people can now get from their doctor, that is approved by the FDA and that’s helping to change the course of the disease, so it’s really, really exciting,” Dr. Papka said.

This revolutionary medication is a monthly infusion that destroys plaque in the brain, causing memory loss.

“And one of the things that’s being studied right now is if you give these drugs, these anti-amyloid drugs, to people before they actually have symptoms, but we know they have these, the beginning of these foundations of the disease, and getting rid of this amyloid very early, can we prevent people from developing the disease and its symptoms?

“This thing came up and said, ‘Are you interested in a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s?’ I said, ‘Yes!'” said patient Connie Hagelin.

Hagelin did not suffer from memory loss, but the former retail vice president signed up for the drug trial as she struggled to juggle the demands of life as a wife, busy mother and grandmother.

“And I noticed that it was getting harder and harder, more stressful, harder to keep the balloons in the air because none of them should fall because they are all very important,” Hagelin said.

After taking the drug, a routine MRI revealed a brain hemorrhage, a common side effect.

“It didn’t freak me out at all,” she said. “The drug pulls the amyloids through the blood vessel, they’re in the blood vessel, the plaque, it’s like the plaque on your teeth, I think. It pulls out the amyloid and in doing so, a tiny bit of blood escapes. So for me none of this was scary.

Hagelin and Jerry said they felt improvements from their clinical trials.

In July, the FDA approved Eli Lilly’s monthly infusions for use by adults with mild cognitive impairment after research showed promising slowing of decline in memory and thinking skills. It is sold under the Kisunla brand.

“I had the clearest mind. So definitely something changed,” Hagelin said.

“And it’s like these magic doors opened,” Jerry said.

“Do you think the clinical trials improved your memory?” asked Eyewitness News.

“Certainly,” Jerry said.

“I think we could be so close to the answers. And, more importantly, get people to come in and get tested,” Hagelin said.

“For dozens of families, this is a lot of hope,” Jerry said.

“We are well on our way to finding a cure, and every person has the opportunity to try to help and contribute to the search for a cure. And we will, we will, because we must” , said Dr. Papka.

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