New 'game-changing' wonder-drug could halt Alzheimer's progression
A new drug could halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease - granting hope to thousands who suffer from the illness.
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Trials suggest that trontinemab could be a powerful tool to fight dementia - with researchers now probing whether to use the drug on those without symptoms.
Studies will look at whether the drug can prevent the disease altogether, granting hope in the fight to eradicate the debilitating illness.
Results seen at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto, Canada, said the “game-changing” treatment clears the plaques in the brain which are associated with Alzheimer's.
90% of those prescribed trontinemab experienced amyloid clearance within 28 weeks, meaning visible markers of the disease had cleared.
Experts are hoping these changes will also see an improvement in memory and functioning of the brain.
A trial of 1,600 patients is now ongoing, according to the Telegraph.
Experts suggest it could become the first Alzheimer’s drug to be funded by the NHS because of its abilities and lack of side effects.
Prof Sir John Hardy, Chairman of molecular biology of neurological disease at University College London’s Institute of Neurology, said the drug could be “game-changing”.
He told The Telegraph: “This is absolutely great news. It sucks the plaque out of the brain really quickly, much faster than we have seen with lecanemab or donanemab.”
He added: “There is no doubt this could be game-changing. We hope that if we can use these drugs to people early, we can halt the progression of disease, even before people have symptoms. Now we need to see the size of the clinical effect.”
Prof Jonathan Schott, Chief Medical Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, told the Telegraph: “We urgently need a range of treatments for Alzheimer’s that are effective and safe for the people affected by this devastating disease.
“Evidence presented at the Alzheimer’s Association conference in Toronto on trontinemab is very promising, showing that the drug can effectively and rapidly clear amyloid from the brain, seemingly with very few side effects.
“We now need to see whether these early stage results carry through to later stage clinical trials, which are planned to start later this year, including in the UK. These trials will show whether the drug is not only safe, but impacts on memory, thinking and quality of life.”