Antibody therapy takes on Alzheimer’s in promising new trial

The Clinical Trials Division of the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation is conducting a world-first trial of an experimental drug to treat the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative neurological condition caused by neuronal cell death that results in atrophy of the brain. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for roughly 50–70% of all cases.

Symptoms include: gradual memory loss, decline in the ability to perform daily tasks, disorientation in time and environment, impaired judgement, and difficulty with learning and concentrating. Changes in personality, behaviour and mood are also common feature. Some individuals may also experience depression symptoms and exhibit aggression.

Director of Research at the McCusker Foundation for Alzheimer’s Professor Ralph Martins says, “With Australia’s ageing demographic, Alzheimer’s disease is predicted to be the number one health burden over the next century if treatments are not discovered and translated into clinical practice”.

The new trial is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the effect of subcutaneous delivery of an experimental drug on cognition and function in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. This study will be conducted over the next two years and is seeking to recruit six patients with mild cognitive impaired or very early stages of memory loss (prodromal Alzheimer’s disease) that are between 50 and 80 years of age. This trial involves over 60 centres across 16 countries and aims to recruit 360 patients.

While prevention is the ultimate aim of Alzheimer’s research, early detection and treatment intervention are crucial to slowing or halting the disease progression and mitigating the detrimental effects.

Gantenerumab – the drug under investigation in this trial – is an antibody therapy that promotes the breakdown and clearance of beta-amyloid plaques in the Alzheimer’s brain. These plaques – or aggregates of abnormally folded proteins – are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and may be responsible for the development of disease. Animal studies have shown that this antibody therapy reduces brain amyloid load and improves cognitive functions.

For further information about this clinical trial please contact the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation on 1800 680 261 or visit the website.

(Source: Gina Ravenscroft, ScienceNetwork WA)

More information

For more information on dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, information for carers of dementia patients and supportive care, as well as some useful tools and videos, see Dementia.