We like to help keep news about potential new Alzheimer's treatments in proper perspective. This week, there have been many news stories about an agent in the FDA pipeline that looks promising, but is in a very, very early stage of the process to becoming an approved drug.
The new agent, called Gantenerumab, is being developed by Roche Holding AG. Like other antibody approaches in the FDA pipeline, it binds to amyloid plaques in the brain. When the the body's natural defense system flushes the antibody from the brain, it takes the plaques along as well. In theory, this is a direct attack on the plaques that many believe to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease.
Two agents with similar mechanisms are well ahead of this one in the FDA pipeline: Bapineuzumab (being developed by Pfizer and J&J) and Solanezumab (being developed by Eli Lilly). Each of these are in Phase III (the final phase) of the FDA process whereas Gantererumab is in Phase I.
This is promising news and worthy of cautious optimism. But don't think this portends of a new treatment in the near term, it will take a lot of ongoing science and many years before this agent could be established as an effective treatment and approved for sale.
Posts
Drugs are a necessary for recovering from Alzheimer but we should also find some alternate treatments.
ReplyDeleteMany problems are there which needs effective treatments earlier.
ReplyDeleteyeah thanks, I want to ask you something about this disease, it's true that is caused for a protein produced by some non natural cells?
ReplyDeleteRegarding the question posed above by "best pharmacy", the cause of AD is sill unknown.
ReplyDeleteVery Informative post...thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete