Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ed Yeates ReportingAfter two years of human testing, a new drug developed by a Utah laboratory appears to halt the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. The evidence was presented to more than 5,000 scientists worldwide today in Madrid.
While it's still premature to make any specific conclusions, this new drug - now in its third and final stage of clinical trials - looks extremely promising. A pill, perhaps given twice a day, might just stop the disease from developing.
Daniel Christensen, M.D. Ph.D., Neuropsychiatric Research, Myriad Genetics: "Maybe the best use of this medication is actually going to be as a preventive. You take it before you get symptoms, and maybe then never get any."
Dr. Daniel Christensen says that's the hope right now, based on two years of evidence collected in international trials by Salt Lake based Myriad Genetics. Only two laboratories, Myriad and another in Canada, have reached this final phase of testing.
Since Alzheimer's most likely begins decades before symptoms appear, research teams are looking for something that might be given to people screened very early who are susceptible to the disease, perhaps in the same way cholesterol medicines are now used to prevent heart disease.
Dr. Christensen: "It may be that we will reach that day when we have some test that shows who is at risk for Alzheimer's disease, and then you take something that prevents you from ever having symptoms."
Flurizan, as its called, might do just that. In Alzheimer's, enzymes appear to prematurely clip proteins in the brain. They become toxic, then move on to destroy neurons. But Flurizan appears to modify or move enzymes so they clip the proteins in the right place.
At this major Alzheimer's conference in Madrid, Dr. Christensen says whether it's the Utah drug, the Canadian drug, or something else, he firmly believes researchers are getting very close to coming up with a preventive treatment.
Dr. Christensen: "We're going to lick this disorder of Alzheimer's."
Side effects from Flurizan have been described as mild and gentle. If results from the trials don't change, and the FDA likes what it sees, the drug could be approved for public use within three years.
