Alzheimer's Drug Trial To Begin For Flurizan

Myriad Genetics Inc. is set to begin the largest ever drug trial to test their new drug Flurizan.  Their website states that they are about to start a phase 3 trial (phase 3 is the last state of testing before a drug is sent to the FDA for approval for use by the general public) which will include 1600 patients over 18 months.

The drug is designed to block the production of beta-amyloid which is believed to be the cause of the plaque buildup found in Alzheimer's patients.

On a side note: The article that I'm linking to (and others) on this trial included something along the lines of: The company "aims to win an intense, international race among several biotech companies to find the first effective treatment to at least slow the disease's progression in the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from it".

I didn't see this claim to be the "first" on the company's website so I don't know where it came from.  Maybe it refers to the way the drug works.  I'd bet the makers of Donepezil (Aricept), Galantamine (Razadyne), Rivastigmine (Exelon) and Memantine (Namenda) would have something to say about who's first to be able to make the above claim.

Link:

Largest Alzheimer's Drug Trial Launched - Associated Press

Alzheimer's trials show positive results - Salt Lake City Tribune (article on Phase 2)

Comments

[Mona Johnson]

Hi,

I would guess recent questions about the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors such as Aricept, Razadyne and Rivastigmine would make a company with a competing drug more comfortable in claiming they had the "first effective treatment." Notice also that they say "to at least slow the disease's progression..." - I don't think the manufacturers of any of the medications you list claim their products slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

For some background on questions about the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors, you might read the 2004 New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/07/health/07ALZH.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5007&en=ef97f4d3983efb40&ex=1396670400&partner=USERLAND. Free registration is required to read this article.

You might also look at the results of the AD2000 study at http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/331/7512/321?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=AD2000&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT. If you click on "Read responses to this article in the right sidebar, you'll get interesting comments (both pro and con) on the use of this type of drug for Alzheimer's.

I hope that's helpful.

[AlzHub]

Thank you for writing. You are absolutely correct. I went to the manufacturers websites for each of the drugs that I had listed and they all state that the drugs treat the symptoms of the disease, not the disease itself. Thanks for clearing that up.