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Potential Alzheimer’s treatment reaches final stage

Aducanumab is a novel drug for Alzheimer’s disease. The drug has been designed to test the efficacy of the medication in slowing cognitive impairment and the progression and the safety of the medication.

The basis of the medication is a recombinant human monoclonal antibody, which are made by identical immune cells. Recombinant antibody engineering involves the use of viruses or yeast to create antibodies, rather than with the use of animals. Such antibodies are used for therapeutic treatments.

Aducanumab has been created to target amyloid-beta aggregates. These compounds, peptides of certain amino acids, are thought to play a role in the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer’s disease. This is because extracellular deposits are often found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

For the study, which will be run by Swiss-based Biogen, the trial drug will be compared alongside a placeblo. If successful, Biogen will share marketing rights with Neurimmune. For this privilege, Biogen has paid its bigger partner $60 million. The trial will involve 2.700 people who are exhibiting early Alzheimer’s disease, across twenty different countries.

Talking with PharmaFile, Professor Roger Nitsch, who heads up Neurimmune, stated: “We are excited about the important progress in the development of aducanumab and the opportunity to systematically determine its effects on slowing the decline of brain function in early Alzheimer’s disease. The consistent progress of our successful collaboration with Biogen, a global leader in the field of innovative therapeutics for brain diseases, is extremely pleasing.”

Earlier studies on Aducanumab indicate a significant reduction of beta-amyloid within the brain; and importantly a beneficial effect on patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. This was demonstrated though cognition tests.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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