Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in treating the disease

Roche Holding AG is currently developing an investigational drug, called Gantenerumab, and early testing has shown that the drug may prove to be effective in slowing down the disease, Roche Holding announced earlier this week.

Gantenerumab is said to bind to amyloid plaques in the brain and remove them. Amyloid plaques have been found to begin building up in the brain in advance of dementia, sometimes 15 years in advance, and are one of Alzheimer’s disease’s key anomalies.

“These results and especially the rapidity of the effects observed on amyloid removal are very encouraging and pave the way for the development of a novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Luca Santarelli, Roche’s global head of Neuroscience Disease Translational Area, in a statement picked up by Fox Business.

Phase one of the drug’s testing, which included 16 patients, showed that Gantenerumab was effective in reducing amyloid plaques. Patients were tested with two doses against a placebo over a period of six months.

Roche is gearing up for a second, mid-range trial in the coming months, with 350 patients from 15 countries expected to participate. The testing will help determine the drug’s effectiveness in helping Alzheimer’s patients remember information. Additionally, the next phase of testing will help determine whether doses of Gantenerumab are safe for patients, and the benefits of amyloid plaque removal.

If the test proves successful, Roche plans to go into a third, high-range test with an even larger pool of patients.

Source: Fox Business

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