No Magic Pill to Reverse the Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Diease

Recent clinical trials aimed at halting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have proven to be elusive. Two of these drugs, Flurizan and Alzhemed had researchers hopeful for a little while. After failed clinical trials, the drugs were found to be ineffective. This was very disappointing news, since these two drugs had been built up as a possible “cure” for the last couple of years.

Currently there are five Alzheimer’s disease medications available to the public. However, all of these drugs treat the symptoms such as confusion and memory trouble. They do not cure or even slow down the disease. A study published earlier this year concluded that these drugs produce few, if any, meaningful benefits. From my experience, I have seen positive results from these drugs (i.e., Aricept), but whose to say if the results are largely induced by a placebo effect.

Although researchers remain optimistic, other candidates that could provide a cure appear to be in the distant future, 2010 or beyond. For example:

- A drug called bapineuzumab, which uses antibodies to clear beta-amyloid is about to enter Phase III trial. Results of this drug are due in 2010.

- Another drug, Dimebon, discovered more than two decades ago has completed Phase II trial in Russia. So far results from this study have found that patients seem to have improved thinking processes and ability to function. It will be interesting to see how this drug continues to do in Phase III trial.

While we wait for a cure, Congress has been trying to pass a bill entitled the “Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act” (used to be called the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act) that would increase research funding.

Similar Posts:

• Assistance for Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia
• Unique Niches in Long-Term Care Living
• Empathy: A Foreign Word In Health Care?

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Alzheimer’s disease, Flurizan, Alzhemed, Aricept, bapineuzumab, Dimebon, Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act, Ronald Reagan Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 28th, 2008 at 9:55 am and is filed under Alzheimer's Disease, Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.