Novartis AG (ADR)(NYSE:NVS) has two new Alzheimer’s drugs CAD106 and CNP520. The former aims at enhancing the immune system’s ability to clear beta amyloid plaque from the brain, theorized as a cause of Alzheimer’s, while the latter aims at stopping its formation right from the beginning.
In testing their suitability, the Swiss drug giant says that it will be using them on people who are not currently suffering from Alzheimer’s. However, their genes must have put them at high risk of developing the mind-robbing disease. The study of the two drugs will put more emphasis on people who exhibit two copies of a gene known as APOE4.
The anti-amyloid strategy may only work with prevention
Recruitment of patients who do have the disease into the study will be challenging. The good news is that around 35,000 people have already signed up to have their swabs used for testing.
The research for a suitable drug to treat Alzheimer’s has been facing many challenges recently. The latest trial was with Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) drug called solanezumab, failed miserably. However, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Steven Arnold is confident about the use of an anti-amyloid strategy, which he says will help in prevention.
Nonetheless, director of Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Pierre Tariot says, “We seem to have tapped into a very motivated group of people. Not surprisingly, a lot of them have a family history of Alzheimer’s.”
But experts are divided over approach to tackling Alzheimer’s
Even with the high number of sign-ups, Dr. Tariot says only a fraction will be entitled to participate in the trial. They must be between the ages of 60 and 75 and with a healthy status. The disclosure of the participant’s genetic profile will be done by a counselor but only after a rigorous assessment by staff of any participating hospital or clinic.
Even with all these arrangements, experts are still not in agreement on whether or not their approach is the most ideal. The director of the neurocognitive disorders program, Murali Doraiswamy claims that the field is very gloomy given the previous failed trials. It now remains to be seen how much success the study will achieve. In the meantime, Novartis’ stock closed at $74.61 witnessing an increase of $1.21 or 1.65%.
