Investigational drug focuses on slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease -
Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease currently have no treatment option to slow down the brain cell deterioration. Researchers from Nantes Houston National Alzheimer Center Methodist studying an experimental drug that aims to do.
T-817MA focuses on preventing the loss of brain cells and slows progression of the disease, while current treatment options, including donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon ) and memantine (Namenda ™) only treat the symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Researchers want to know if the experimental treatment using T-817MA may prevent brain cell loss, slowing the progression of the disease in a more fundamental way.
Houston Methodist is the only place to study in Texas to offer this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled. About two-thirds of the study participants will receive active drug to study, but neither the patient nor the study staff will know whether patients received the drug or placebo the active study to participation patients in the study is complete. This is a phase II clinical trial, a first study assessing the efficacy of a drug that has been tested on a relatively few number of research subjects.
"Previous studies in mice have shown that this experimental drug may work by protecting brain cells, which result in better memory and cognition," said Joseph C. Masdeu, MD, Ph.D. .D., principal investigator of the study at Methodist Houston and director of NNAC. "As someone who sees the devastating effects of this disease on patients and their families, our goal is to know whether this drug is a viable option for our patients. "
Of the more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, nearly two-thirds are women. American women are twice as likely to die from Alzheimer's disease as they are with breast cancer. According to the Alzheimer's Association, someone develops every 67 seconds Alzheimer. In 2013, 15.5 million caregivers provided about 17.7 billion hours of unpaid care valued at more than $ 220 billion.
People already diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's may be eligible for this study if they are women or men aged 55 -85 years; they took donepezil (Aricept), treatment for at least six months; live in the community, not in a nursing home or assisted-living facility; and have a study partner who is in regular contact with the patient (at least 10 hours per week) and can participate in study visits.
EmoticonEmoticon