Alzheimer’s Drug

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Anchor lead: Are new drug trial results meaningful in Alzheimer’s disease? Elizabeth Tracey reports

A new drug that clears something called amyloid from the brain may delay progression of Alzheimer’s disease, recently released data indicate. Constantine Lyketsos, an Alzheimer’s disease expert at Johns Hopkins, says maybe.

Lyketsos: Maybe this drug is the right mechanism where amyloid reduction, which doesn’t work for any of the other drugs, might work for this drug. Because it somehow does the reduction more effectively. The phase two, we’ve seen those kinds of results a number of times, so let’s see.  :16

Lyketsos believes application may be limited.

Lyketsos: Maybe five or eight or ten percent of people with Alzheimer’s dementia are genetic overproducers of amyloid. You’d figure those were the people who would be helped by amyloid removal or reduction. First trial was put out a few months ago. Doesn’t seem to work.  :16

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.