Scientists may have discovered a drug that can help patients with Alzheimer's disease. The drug named solanezumab can slow down the rate of memory loss in patients suffering from mild Alzheimer's.
In a study, 1,300 patients having mild dementia were grouped into two and given different kind of drugs. One group has been made to take the solanezumab drug and the other patients took a placebo. The trial which lasted for 18 months showed that patients under the solanezumab treatment experienced a 30% decline in memory loss.
To validate the results, the researchers also placed the placebo group under the solanezumab treatment. The patients also displayed similar improvements which is a sign that the drug can deliver genuine impact on the development of the disease.
Existing drugs in the market aid patients by focusing on the symptoms but do not offer solutions to slow the progression of the disease.
After decades of studying and battling against the neurodegenerative disease, researchers have finally gained a hugely significant results that can impact the lives of those suffering from the disease.
Director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK Dr. Eric Karran is optimistic about the latest improvement on their study. "This is the first evidence of something genuinely modifying the disease process. It's a breakthrough in my mind."
"The history of medicine suggests that once you get through that door you can explore further therapeutic opportunities much more aggressively. It makes us less helpless," the director added.
However, many are still questioning the efficiency of the drug, asking whether it is simply targeting the symptoms like the other drugs in the market. The scientists testified that solanezumab works by delaying the loss of brain neurons which is the main reason for memory loss.
Alzheimer's disease is affecting about 5.2 million Americans which is considered as the 6th leading cause of death in the region. Research reveals that 850,000 people from UK are suffering from dementia.
Recently, a study showed that saliva test can be the key to the early diagnosis of the Alzheimer's disease. With these two new discoveries, developing a cure for neurodegenerative diseases in the future is highly possible.
