Strong AD animal data for Prana's PBT2

Ashley Bush, co-founder of Australia's Prana Biotechnology, presented data at the 10th international conference on Alzheimer's disease in Madrid, Spain, showing that its drug candidate PBT2 improved memory performance within five days of oral dosing, rapidly reduced the levels of soluble beta-amyloid in the brain, and restored normal function to beta-amyloid-impaired synapses, all in a mouse model of the disease.

Using the Morris Water Maze Test, researchers found that PBT2 could quickly and significantly improve spatial memory, an important barometer of cognitive function in seven-month old transgenic amyloid mice.

In addition, 15-month old transgenic AD mice treated with 30mg/kg of PBT2 saw a 60% reduction in soluble beta-amyloid-40 and beta-amyloid-42 levels within 24 hours of oral PBT2 administration. Prof Bush noted that, "on the basis of the multiple encouraging results achieved to date, demonstrating that PBT2 has a rapid and potent mechanism of action, Prana is initiating a Phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of PBT2 in AD patients.