A European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee has voted against approving Biogen’s Aduhelm (aducanumab) as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, known as CHMP, is expected to issue a formal ruling based on this so-called negative trend vote after its meeting in mid-December. But the regulatory agency usually follows…
About Alzheimer’s Disease
Walking into a room and forgetting why you went into the room is normal. Walking into a room and forgetting what room you are in is not normal. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and affects one in ten people over the age of 65. Unfortunately, the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood however leading scientific experts in the field attribute the illness to the irreversible and progressive generalized degeneration of the brain. Alzheimer’s disease goes well beyond the forgetfulness that may accompany aging, and typically first signs include difficulty remembering current information or performing new tasks. Ongoing hallmark symptoms include impaired memory function, difficulty performing everyday tasks, and neurobehavioral abnormalities. Currently, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and multi-disciplinary treatment focuses on symptom management and limiting progression.
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Alzheimer’s News
Lower Levels of Tau Marker Seen With Aduhelm in Phase 3 Trials
Treatment with Aduhelm (aducanumab) showed a significant correlation with lower blood levels of p-tau181, a disease biomarker, and lesser cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer’s patients, according to a recent data analysis of two Phase 3 clinical trials. The data, analyzed from around 7,000 blood samples collected from more than 1,800 patients who participated in the EMERGE…
AC Immune Extends Work Into TDP-43 Protein’s Role in Alzheimer’s
AC Immune has announced it will extend its partnership with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania to further study the mechanisms underlying disease-causing changes in the transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43). Specifically, company researchers and those with the university’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the Perelman School of Medicine are looking into what causes TDP-43…
Massachusetts Center Will Use AI to Help Improve In-home Care
The MassAITC project was recently launched to focus on using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve in-home care for older adults and others with Alzheimer’s disease, with the help of a five-year, $20-million grant from the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health. MassAITC, which stands for Massachusetts AI and Technology…
Trial Testing ALZ-101 Alzheimer’s Vaccine Recruits First Patient
The first patient has been recruited, in Finland, for Alzinova AB’s Phase 1b clinical trial testing its ALZ-101 vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease, the company announced. Alzinova AB, a Swedish biopharma company, is working to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s that specifically target amyloid-beta oligomers — chains of several single units (monomers) of the protein. The toxic…
Study Connects Herpes to Biological Risk for Alzheimer’s
A biological framework called the “microcompetition model” may explain why people infected with herpes simplex 1 (HSV1) are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “These dynamics explain the observed connection reported in many studies between the virus and Alzheimer’s disease, and provide a framework for further investigations,” researchers wrote. This idea was outlined in…
Overcoming Barriers to an Early Diagnosis in Alzheimer’s, Dementia
It took seven years from the time she started showing symptoms for Sophia Rodriguez’s mother to receive a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. After her death 14 years later, Rodriguez can’t help but wonder how things might have been different had her mother received an earlier diagnosis. Early diagnosis has myriad benefits for those living…
Mouse Study: 4 Approved Meds Are Potential Alzheimer’s Treatments
Detailed molecular signatures in three mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease at different disease stages allowed for identification of four approved medicines that may be potential Alzheimer’s treatments, a study revealed. The four medications that demonstrated efficiency are now used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and inflammation in humans. The study, “Identification and drug-induced reversion…
Atuzaginstat Shows Potential in GAIN Trial Patients With Severe Gum Disease
In a subset of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s and evidence of severe gum disease due to P. gingivalis infection, treatment with atuzaginstat (COR388) appeared to slow their cognitive decline, according to results from the Phase 2/3 GAIN clinical trial. Across all treated study patients, however, atuzaginstat’s use over about one year failed to meet this primary trial goal,…
2 Trials Testing Oral Varoglutamstat Now Enrolling in US, Europe
Vivoryon Therapeutics is looking to enroll patients at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease for two ongoing, Phase 2 trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of its investigational oral treatment varoglutamstat. The therapy candidate has shown evidence, in earlier trials, of improving cognition, memory, and attention in Alzheimer’s patients, with “encouraging results after only 12 weeks of…
Many Ways to Mark National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Every November since President Ronald Reagan’s proclamation in 1983, Americans have been partaking in National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. These next 30 days will be an opportunity for people to honor the progress made toward understanding and treating the disease while raising money for research and care. It also recognizes caregivers, family, clinicians, and the…
ACT-AD Phase 2 Trial Fully Enrolled with Results Expected Next Year
Athira Pharma has completed enrollment in its ACT-AD Phase 2 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ATH-1017 in adults with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. “The completion of enrollment in our ACT-AD trial is an important step forward in advancing ATH-1017 as a potential new treatment option for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” Mark…