Mid-stage data show unprecedented effectiveness for tau-targeting AD drug

Mid-stage data presented this week has shown unprecedented effectiveness for an Alzheimer's disease drug candidate. Findings reported at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, held in Chicago, USA, show that a novel drug called rember can slow mental deterioration in AD patients for at least 18 months.

Developed by researchers from Scotland's University of Aberdeen and TauRx Therapeutics, a Singapore-based company spun out of the University, the novel treatment is based on an entirely new approach to AD which targets the aggregates of abnormal fibers of tau protein forming inside nerve cells in the brain. These tangles first destroy nerve cells critical for memory and then neurons in other parts of the brain as the disease progresses.

According to findings from the 321-patient study, those who received rember experienced an 81% reduction in cognitive decline over one year, and did not see a significant decline in their mental function over 19 months. TauRx' brain imaging data also showed that the agent had its biggest effect in the memory-critical parts of the brain, where tangle density is highest.