A new drug for treating Alzheimer's disease has successfully passed the first phase of testing in humans
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 16th May, 2019) A new drug for treating Alzheimer's disease has successfully passed the first phase of testing in humans. Preclinical studies had already shown that the drug could improve memory and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in older mice.Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jlich and Heinrich Heine University Dsseldorf, both in Germany, developed the candidate drug, which, for now, bears the name PRI-002.
PRI-002 eliminates toxic beta-amyloid oligomers, the self-replicating proteins that scientists suspect of causing and advancing Alzheimer's disease.The team had previously shown that the drug could significantly reduce signs and symptoms in older mice that were genetically engineered to develop an Alzheimer's-like disease through the insertion of a mutant human gene.In the ensuing, recently completed phase 1 clinical trial, healthy volunteers took daily dosages of PRI-002 for 4 weeks.
The results show that the drug is safe for human use.Passing this stage of testing in humans means that the candidate drug can now proceed to a phase 2 trial to evaluate its effectiveness in people with Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's and beta-amyloid oligomersAlzheimer's disease is the main cause of dementia. It gradually destroys people's ability to think, remember, relate to others, and have an independent life by killing off their brain cells.
The latest figures from the Alzheimer's Association suggest that there are now 5.8 million people living with Alzheimer's disease in the United States.Scientists have recently agreed that clumps of beta-amyloid oligomers are the most likely cause of Alzheimer's disease.These oligomers are a toxic, aggregated form of naturally occurring beta-amyloid monomers, which are nontoxic. It is rare for the monomers to assemble into oligomers. However, the likelihood of rare events increases with time, which is probably why age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
New drug tackles oligomers directlyPRI-002 works in a different way. It causes the beta-amyloid oligomers to disassemble back into nontoxic monomers. In this way, it targets the oligomers directly without having to involve the immune system.Another advantage of PRI-002 is that it belongs to a new class of drug called D-peptide. These compounds are mirror images of their naturally occurring equivalents, a feature that makes it harder for the body to eliminate them.This characteristic gives PRI-002 a better chance of getting into the brain and doing its work before the body can get rid of it. It also means that it is stable enough to take as an oral drug in tablet or capsule form which is a method that is easier for older people.
