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Alzheimer’s disease is the 2nd leading cause of death among the elderly. We have 26 million people worldwide diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and we are spending billions each year to treat them. It is projected that the number suffering from the disease will leap to over 106 million by 2050.
Aricept was the first drug that was released, and doctors were doubtful that it would help. The amazing thing is that it did help. Then Exelon as well as a number of other drugs were released. About six years ago the biggest advancement was when doctors had the option of using Namenda as a partner drug with Exelon. Prior to its release, Namenada had to be ordered from overseas sources. The response to these two drugs has slowed the progression of the disease and is offering patients as long as three to five years of very little decline.
The new drug Rember or Methylene Blue brings unprecedented advance in Alzheimer’s treatment. A small company named TauRx is responsible for the production, and all of the research is being done by D. Claude Wischik of the University of Aberdeen. It could prove at least twice as effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease as current medications and is significantly slowing the progression of dementia, researchers say.
According to current research, this drug is the first medication that directly attacks the “tangles” that develop in the brains of those affected. These tangles, made up of a protein known as “tau”, form inside nerve cells in the brain and impair concentration and memory. The tangles first destroy the nerve cells linked to memory and then destroy neurons in other parts of the brain as the disease progresses. Accumulation of amyloid protein has long been suspected as the cause of the disease, but targeting the “tau” protein for the first time may be the link to successful treatment of this disease.
Professor Wischik states that, “This is the most significant development in the treatment of the tangles since Alois Alzheimer discovered them in 1907. For the first time it may be possible to arrest the progression of the disease by targeting the tangles which are highly correlated with the disease.” |
