Experimental drugs show promise in preventing Alzheimer’s disease for people at high risk of developing the disease.
It was a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and researchers conducted clinical trials on rare people. Genetic variation According to a press release, it almost “guarantees” the “development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study involved 73 people in their 30s, 40s and 50s mutated, causing overproduction of amyloid in the brain.
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Amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and can interfere with cognitive function, is one of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.
Experimental drugs show promise in preventing Alzheimer’s disease for people at high risk of developing the disease. (istock)
Although all participants had no cognitive decline, Family history of Alzheimer’s diseaseand within 15 years of the expected age of symptoms to develop, the release said.
For 22 participants who received a drug called cancer tenerumab for eight years, the risk of developing symptoms was reduced by half from 100% to 50%.
“What we know is that it is possible to at least delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms and give people more healthy lives.”
“It didn’t have any effect that you wouldn’t see in people who were treated just for two or three years of treatment,” Charles F. of Wash Medicine, Joan Knight, a well-known neurology professor, and Randall J. Bateman of Maryland, told Fox News Digital.
The findings were published in The Lancet Neurology on March 19th.
For 22 participants who received a drug called cancer tenerumab for eight years, the risk of developing symptoms was reduced by half from 100% to 50%. (istock)
Guntenerumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to target and remove amyloid plaques in the brain, was developed by Roche of Switzerland and its US affiliate Genentech.
However, development was stopped in 2023 after Roche/Genentech itself. Clinical trials Releases show that the drug does not meet the “primary endpoint” to slow cognitive decline in people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.
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“Everyone in this study is destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and some of them don’t have one yet,” Bateman said in the release.
“We still don’t know how long they will remain symptomatic – perhaps years or decades. To give them the best chance to stay cognitively normal, we continued treatment with another anti-amyloid antibody, hoping they would not develop symptoms at all,” he continued.
Researchers say that if Alzheimer’s disease in late stages produces similar outcomes, they hope that the general population will eventually be able to access preventive measures. (istock)
“What we know is that it is possible to at least delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms and give them to people in more years. A healthy lifestyle. ”
According to Bateman, if Alzheimer’s disease in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, he hopes that the general population will eventually be able to access preventive measures.
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“I am now very optimistic because this could be the first clinical evidence of prevention in people at risk for Alzheimer’s,” he said. “One day, we may soon be slowing down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in millions.”
Howard Phillitt, MD, co-founder and chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation in New York, said the study shows for the first time that early treatment to clear plaque before symptoms develop can slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Although Gantenerumab has not been developed, researchers are evaluating other anti-amyloid drugs, such as Remtertug, created by Ali Lilly, to determine whether it may prevent Alzheimer’s disease. (istock)
“We have entered a new era of research into Alzheimer’s disease that can not only be able to correct the course of the disease, but also prevent it. Treatment intervention“Fillit, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Potential limits and risks
Bateman told Fox News Digital.
The number of people was limited due to the rarity of Alzheimer’s disease caused by mutations, the use of external controls, and the fact that studies began at lower doses, he said.
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“Many of the participants are cognitively normal after 8 or more years of treatment and are close or past the expected age of onset, so continuing treatment and follow-up may result in greater or less effectiveness,” Bateman said.
The researchers pointed out that Anti-amyloid drugs Like gantenerumab, it has been shown to cause amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA).
Amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and can interfere with cognitive function, is one of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. (istock)
These are “small spots or localized in the brain” in brain scans. Swelling of the brain“The release said.
Most of these side effects cause symptoms and do not resolve without treatment, but in rare cases, aria can cause serious medical problems or even fatal.
This latest study showed that 30% of participants experienced ARIA due to higher doses of the drug.
The two participants had to stop using gantenerumab due to severe aria, but “there were no life-threatening adverse events and deaths,” the researchers noted.
“Overall, the safety profile of gantenerumab during expansion was similar to that in the original trials and other clinical trials of gantenerumab,” they said.
Experts agree that more research is needed
Dr. Chris Verkammen, a medical doctor certified within the board of directors who specializes in Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Caresaid that although these initial findings are “encouragement,” further research is needed on the effects of these drugs.
“Large, randomized trials involving diverse populations and individuals with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease are necessary to validate these early results and determine the maximum potential of these treatments,” Vercammen, medical director at Remoal Health in California, told Fox News Digital. (He was not involved in any new research.)
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“It is important to note that the design of this study focuses on high-risk individuals at pre-clinical stages, and therefore does not provide sufficient data on the effects of these drugs on late Alzheimer’s disease.”
Fillit added that the new study opens the door to further explore preclinical Alzheimer’s disease treatment.
Anti-amyloid drugs such as guntenerumab have been shown to cause amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). This appears in brain scans as “small spots of brain blood or local swelling of the brain.” (istock)
“We look forward to seeing the longitudinal data and further research into this approach,” he told Fox News Digital.
“These efforts bring us one step closer to our ultimate goals Preventing illness Before that begins. ”
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Although Gantenerumab has not been developed, researchers are evaluating other anti-amyloid drugs, such as Remtertug, created by Ali Lilly, to determine whether it may prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
“Through these efforts, we are one step closer to our ultimate goal of preventing illness before it begins.”
“These unusual families of mutations may want to participate in ongoing trials,” Bateman told Fox News Digital.
“The elderly general population may want to know something Ongoing exams To test this approach, people with amyloid plaques can determine whether symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented. ”
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This study was funded primarily by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, the GHR Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Fox News Digital has contacted Roche/Genentech for comment.
