Alzheimer’s Amyloid Drug Fails to Slow Cognitive Decline in Clinical Trial
In unfortunate news for patients and families of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a new multicenter clinical trial, led by investigators at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), found that the monoclonal antibody-based treatment solanezumab—created to target soluble amyloid protein and reduce plaque formation—did not significantly slow cognitive decline. Findings from the new study were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine , in an article entitled “ Trial of Solanezumab for Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease .” For decades, researchers have proposed that AD is caused by the buildup of a sticky protein called beta-amyloid (Aβ). According to this “amyloid hypothesis,” the protein forms plaques in the brain that damage and eventually destroy brain cells. Solanezumab was designed to reduce the level of soluble amyloid molecules before they aggregate.
Original Article: Alzheimer’s Amyloid Drug Fails to Slow Cognitive Decline in Clinical Trial
