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Title: Could this be the end of Alzheimer's? Revolutionary drug 'may stop the disease from ever developing'
Source:
Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a ... lear-toxic-proteins-brain.html
Published: Aug 31, 2016
Author: Fiona MacRae
Post Date: 2016-08-31 21:12:30 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 5680
Comments: 27
A revolutionary drug that could stop people from ever developing Alzheimer’s disease has been unveiled by scientists. Trials have produced ‘unprecedented’ results and the medicine has been hailed as a potential game-changer in the fight against the cruel disease. In future, healthy pensioners could be prescribed the drug to ward off dementia, in much the same way as statins are given today to those at risk of heart attacks. One British expert described the drug, which is about to be tested in hospitals around the UK, as the best yet, others called it ‘ingenious’ work with ‘tantalising’ results. And a US doctor hailed it as the best news in his 25-year career. The revolutionary drug, aducanumab, could stop people from developing Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect some 850,000 Britons, with one new case every three minutes. Existing drugs are of limited benefit and despite billions of pounds being spent on research, no new medicines have hit the market in more than a decade. While current therapies ease the symptoms, aducanumab tackles the underlying damage in the brain, raising hopes it will be the first to alter the course of the disease. It contains an antibody that homes in on amyloid, the protein that clogs the brain in Alzheimer's, poisoning and killing the cells. In preliminary trials, involving 165 people in the early stages of the disease, the Swiss-designed drug triggered the removal of amyloid from the brain. And in men and women given a monthly infusion of a high dose of the drug, the amyloid all but vanished after a year. This ‘unprecedented’ effect was deemed so significant that the results have been published in Nature the world’s top science journal. The new drug has been found to get rid of clumps of the amyloid protein are a hallmark of Alzheimer's and are thought to be harmful to brain cells US researcher Stephen Salloway, of the Butler Hospital in Rhode Island said: ‘This is the best news I’ve had in my 25 years of doing Alzheimer’s research. ‘It brings new hope to the patients and families most affected by this disease.’ Even more excitingly, the drug seemed to halt the disease. Men and women who weren’t treated experienced steady declines in memory and day to day functioning, such as the ability to cook for themselves or take out the rubbish but those given high doses of the drug stopped getting any worse after just six months of treatment. The number of people tested was too small to be sure the drug can really stop the disease in its tracks and a larger trial, involving 2,700 people in the early stage of Alzheimer’s, is underway. Hospitals and clinics in eight British cities, including London, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee are taking part and are looking for patients. The trial is due to finish in 2020 and, if aducanumab is deemed safe and effective, it could be available shortly afterwards. However, there are several hurdles to overcome. Drugs that have seemed promising when given to small groups of people can fail spectacularly when tested on large numbers. Plus, aducanumab can cause a worrying side-effect, in which fluid accumulates in the brain, raising the risk of strokes. Challenges include finding a dose that is high enough to work but not so powerful that it does damage. Other amyloid-busting antibodies have been tried before. But aducanumab, which is based on antibodies naturally made by pensioners who seem to be immune to Alzheimer’s, is said to be the best yet. It is thought it is better at getting into the brain and more likely to zero in on the damaging amyloid than previous drugs. Aducanumab is a type of therapy called an antibody, designed to target the amyloid protein in patientsin the early stages of Alzheimer's In future, aducanumab, which was originally developed at the University of Zurich, could be given to seemingly healthy pensioners, in a bid to keep them going on to develop Alzheimer’s. People could be given brain scans in their 60s and 70s and those thought to be at risk of dementia given the drug. Today, some 15 per cent of 65-year-olds have a build-up of amyloid but are still symptom-free. Alfred Sandrock, of Biogen, the US drug company developing the drug, said: ‘I could imagine a time when we would treat people before they have symptoms. ‘We do that now, for example we treat people with high cholesterol before they get heart disease because we would like to prevent heart disease.’ Experts cautioned that it is too early to be certain that aducanumab works. However, the early results have caused huge excitement. Richard Morris, a professor of neuroscience at Edinburgh University, said: ‘The importance of this first step cannot be understated. ‘Let’s keep our fingers crossed for success in the next steps.’ Professor David Allsop, of the University of Lancaster, said: ‘These findings could be a “game-changer” if the effects on memory decline could be confirmed.’ Dr James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘These results are the most detailed and promising that we’ve seen for a drug that aims to modify the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease.’ Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘These results provide tantalising evidence that a new class of drug to treat the disease may be on the horizon. ‘It has been over a decade since the last drug was licensed for use in people with Alzheimer’s and there are currently no treatments able to stop the disease in its tracks.’ 
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 8.
#2. To: cranky (#0)
So does THC, by the by.
So does THC, by the by. DEA, Docket DEA-427, Denial to Petition To Initiate Proceedings To Reschedle Marijuana, Fed. Reg. Vol. 81, No. 156 (12 August 2016) page 53776 Single smoked or oral doses of delta9-THC produce tachycardia and may increase blood pressure (Capriotti et al., 1988; Benowitz and Jones, 1975). Some evidence associates the tachycardia produced by delta9-THC with excitation of the sympathetic and depression of the parasympathetic nervous systems (Malinowska et al., 2012). During chronic marijuana ingestion, a tolerance to tachycardia develops (Malinowska et al., 2012). However, prolonged delta9-THC ingestion produces bradycardia and hypotension (Benowitz and Jones, 1975). Plant-derived cannabinoids and endocannabinoids elicit hypotension and bradycardia via activation of peripherally-located CB1 receptors (Wagner et al., 1998). Specifically, the mechanism of this effect is through presynaptic CB1 receptor-mediated inhibition of norepinephrine release from peripheral sympathetic nerve terminals, with possible additional direct vasodilation via activation of vascular cannabinoid receptors (Pacher et al., 2006). In humans, tolerance can develop to orthostatic hypotension (Jones, 2002; Sidney, 2002) possibly related to plasma volume expansion, but tolerance does not develop to the supine hypotensive effects (Benowitz and Jones, 1975). Additionally, electrocardiographic changes are minimal, even after large cumulative doses of delta9-THC are administered. (Benowitz and Jones, 1975). Marijuana smoking by individuals, particularly those with some degree of coronary artery or cerebrovascular disease, poses risks such as increased cardiac work, catecholamines and carboxyhemoglobin, myocardial infarction, and postural hypotension (Benowitz and Jones, 1981; Hollister, 1988; Mittleman et al., 2001; Malinowska et al., 2012).
So THC has negative side effects - does aducanumab have none? Ought we ban all medicines with negative side effects?
One of those side effects being myocardial infarction. Aducanumab is in the clinical trial stage. Test marijuana, submit your results, and get approved. For marijuana, note that "[c]urrently, no published studies conducted with marijuana meet the criteria of an adequate and well-congroled efficacy study." FR 53780. Fed. Reg. 53780, August 12, 2016 The 11 identified studies were individually evaluated to determine if they successfully meet accepted scientific standards. Specifically, they were evaluated on study design including subject selection criteria, sample size, blinding techniques, dosing paradigms, outcome measures, and the statistical analysis of the results. The analysis relied on published studies, thus information available about protocols, procedures, and results were limited to documents published and widely available in the public domain. The review found that all 11 studies that examined effects of inhaled marijuana do not currently prove efficacy of marijuana in any therapeutic indication based on a number of limitations in their study design; however, they may be considered proof of concept studies. Proof of concept studies provide preliminary evidence on a proposed hypothesis involving a drug’s effect. For drugs under development, the effect often relates to a short-term clinical outcome being investigated. Proof of concept studies often serve as the link between preclinical studies and dose ranging clinical studies. Thus, proof of concept studies generally are not sufficient to prove efficacy of a drug because they provide only preliminary information about the effects of a drug.
I say, leave medical decisions to doctors in consultation with patients.
#9. To: ConservingFreedom (#8)
I say, that's not what the law says. If you dislike the law, work to change the law. As for doctors, they have already proven that they will prescribe marijuana for patients they have either not fully evaluated, or whom they have not met at all.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestIn preliminary trials, involving 165 people in the early stages of the disease, the Swiss-designed drug triggered the removal of amyloid from the brain.
#3. To: ConservingFreedom, cranky (#2)
In preliminary trials, involving 165 people in the early stages of the disease, the Swiss-designed drug triggered the removal of amyloid from the brain.
Cardiovascular and Autonomic Effects
#5. To: nolu chan (#3)
#7. To: ConservingFreedom (#5)
So THC has negative side effects - does aducanumab have none? Ought we ban all medicines with negative side effects?
The PubMed search yielded a total of 566 abstracts of scientific articles. Of these abstracts, a full-text review was conducted with 85 papers to assess eligibility. Of the studies identified through the search of the references and the 566 abstracts from the PubMed search, only 11 studies met all the criteria for selection (Abrams et al., 2007; Corey-Bloom et al., 2012; Crawford and Merritt, 1979; Ellis et al., 2009; Haney et al., 2005; Haney et al., 2007; Merritt et al., 1980; Tashkin et al., 1974; Ware et al., 2010; Wilsey et al., 2008; Wilsey et al., 2013). These 11 studies were published between 1974 and 2013. Ten of these studies were conducted in the United States and one study was conducted in Canada. The identified studies examine the effects of smoked and vaporized marijuana for the indications of chronic neuropathic pain, spasticity related to Multiple Sclerosis (MS), appetite stimulation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, glaucoma, and asthma. All studies used adult subjects.
#8. To: nolu chan (#7)
Test marijuana, submit your results, and get approved.
Replies to Comment # 8. I say, leave medical decisions to doctors in consultation with patients.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 8.
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