Experts are calling a new drug a “game-changer” in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. The novel therapeutic agent, trontinemab, has been found to cross the blood-brain barrier — a longstanding obstacle in Alzheimer’s research. And researchers say the drug could potentially be taken to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing in the first place.
The new discovery is welcome news as more than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease accounts for up to 70% of these cases. To date, there is no cure for the devastating disease, but now research is zeroing in on ways to treat it.
Unlike previous treatments, trontinemab directly targets amyloid plaques, the toxic protein accumulations believed to drive the disease’s progression. In addition, the drug has demonstrated in clinical trials the capacity to significantly slow cognitive decline. Experts are optimistic that this innovative approach could transform the outlook for millions of patients and families worldwide.
Study results presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto showed that treatment with trontinemab can remove the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease faster than any current licensed drug. In fact, nine out of 10 patients taking the new medication experienced amyloid clearance in 28 weeks, successfully eliminating any visible signs of disease.
An 18-month trial is now underway with 1,600 patients to see if the drug can improve memory and cognitive functioning. Experts are also hoping that the drug, developed by Roche/Genentech, can be used like statins, to prevent disease in the first place. The lack of side effects and high safety profile means that trontinemab could be given to large populations at a lower price than current medications.
John Hardy, chair of molecular biology of neurological disease at University College London’s Institute of Neurology said the advance could be “game-changing”. He was the first to identify the role of amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease and said, “There is no doubt this could be game-changing. We hope that if we can use these drugs to treat people early, we can halt the progression of disease, even before people have symptoms. Now we need to see the size of the clinical effect.”
Roche has announced Phase III clinical trials for trontinemab.
Lynn C. Allison ✉
Lynn C. Allison, a Newsmax health reporter, is an award-winning medical journalist and author of more than 30 self-help books.