Scientists find first drug that appears to slow Alzheimer's disease
There is exciting new research showing that patients with "mild" Alzheimer's had a 34 percent delay in symptoms when taking the drug Solanezumab.
These results were released yesterday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, D.C.
“This is the first evidence of something genuinely modifying the disease process,” said Dr Eric Karran, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “It’s a breakthrough in my mind. The history of medicine suggests that once you get through that door you can explore further therapeutic opportunities much more aggressively. It makes us less helpless.”
If these findings are correct, it will become even more critical for doctors and neurologists to detect dementia & Alzheimer's disease as early as possible.
Dr. Doug Brown, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Today’s findings strongly suggest that targeting people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease with these antibody treatments is the best way to slow or stop Alzheimer’s disease. These drugs are able to reduce the sticky plaques of amyloid that build up in the brain, and now we have seen the first hints that doing this early enough may slow disease progression.”
Some of the clinical trials on this drug are being conducted right here in the Western New York area at Dent Neurological. Dr. Rainka is overseeing the study and participants are still needed. This prevention trial is called the A4 study. If you are interested in learning more about it, please contact Caroline Kumm by e-mail at [email protected] or phone 716-558-3492.
If further trial results are positive, it will still be several years before the drug becomes available. Another trial is due to report in 2016 and then the drug will need to go through regulatory approval.
I hope they do everything they can to make sure the drug is safe and effective and then, if possible, speed up the process for making it available to former NFL players and all people that have been diagnosed with mild dementia and early onset of Alzheimer's disease. The clock is ticking......... and time is not on their side.
Here is a link to the article discussing the new findings: Lilly Alzheimer's Drug Seems to Slow Diseases Progress
