New Type of Drug Tested for Alzheimer’s
The results look promising from early tests involving a new drug for
Alzheimer’s disease. The drug, called tarenflurbil, has shown progress
in a series of experiments. A recent news release reports that tests have
shown that tarenflurbil inhibits the production of the long strands of
amyloid beta protein in the brain, keeping these stands from clumping
together. Researchers who have worked with the drug in animal tests
feel that tarenflurbil reduces insoluble amyloid in the brain. Others report
that the drug may also enhance the production of shorter strands, which
are less likely to stick together. Amyloid seems to be harmful only when
it sticks together and accumulates as plaques in the brain. Several
companies involved in Alzheimer’s research are developing drugs that
are designed to minimize amyloid plaque build up.
Alzheimer’s disease is named after a German physician Alois
Alzheimer, who first described the condition in 1906. An estimated 5
million Americans have Alzheimer’s. It typically destroys brain cells,
causing problems with memory and behavior that significantly affects a
person’s work and social life.