TauRx Therapeutics captured the center ring of attention at an international Alzheimer's meeting with new data for remberTM that demonstrates a dramatic ability to slow cognitive decline. Researchers say that remberTM slowed cognitive decline in 81 percent of the patients taking the drug, the first therapy to target the tau protein. And scientists at Aberdeen University in Scotland say that remberTM may well slow the brain's deterioration.
"This is an unprecedented result in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," said Professor Claude Wischik. "We have demonstrated for the first time that it may be possible to arrest progression of the disease by targeting the tangles which are highly correlated with the disease."
Alzheimer's has proven to be one of the toughest diseases for developers to crack. On Monday Myriad Genetics announced that it would give up on Flurizan after it failed in a late-stage trial [1]. Myriad spent $60 million on its effort to find a new therapy to treat Alzheimer's and will shell out an additional $8 million just shutting the program down. Flurizan was designed to reduce plaque [2], but patients in the trial did not demonstrate any improvement in cognition or daily activities when compared to a group taking a placebo.
- check out the release [3]
- read the article [4] from the Guardian
- for more on Myriad read this story [5] from Forbes
ALSO: Elan and Wyeth, meanwhile, presented a full set of mid-stage data for their amyloid-clearing therapy bapineuzumab [6] , saying that the data justified their decision to pursue advanced studies. But the Wall Street Journal says that experts may be underwhelmed by the data displayed at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago. Shares of Elan slid on the news. Release [7]| Report [8]
Related Articles:
Alzheimer's vax eliminated plaque, not dementia [2]
Big pharma sees big payback for Alzheimer's research [9]
Genetic engineering ‘vacuums' Alzheimer plaque [10]
Alzheimer's drug results boost Elan, Wyeth [6]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/flurizan-flunks-its-phase-iii-alzheimer-s-test/2008-06-30
[2] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/vaccines/story/alzheimer-s-vaccine-eliminated-plaque-not-dementia/2008-07-24
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/taurx-therapeutics-ltd-university-aberdeen-new-treatment-halts-progress-alzheimers-di
[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/30/medicalresearch.health
[5] http://www.forbes.com/home_asia/2008/06/30/myriad-genetics-update-markets-equity-cx_mlm_0630markets39.html
[6] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/alzheimers-vaccine-results-boost-elan-wyeth/2008-06-17
[7] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/wyeth-and-elan-corporation-shares-skid-bapineuzumab-data-leaves-analysts-less-optimis
[8] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121736514570894519.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
[9] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/story/big-pharma-sees-big-payback-for-alzheimer-s-research/2007-06-12
[10] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/story/genetic-engineering-vacuums-alzheimer-plaque/2008-06-03-1