ALZHEIMER’S NEW DRUG TO PROTECT THE BRAIN

A DRUG that “repairs” mental decline could prove a breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, scientists said last night.

Human trials will test a therapy experts hope will give sufferers many more years of cognitive ability as the search for a cure continues.

The drug appears to work by reducing the toxicity of destructive plaques which are a feature of the disease.

T- 817MA has been shown to boost the number of new cells responsible for memory and thinking.

This area of the brain is the first to shrink in those with the condition.

Professor Lon Schneider, of the University of Southern California, said: “Alzheimer’s being a complex disease in which multiple processes are involved suggests that there needs to be multiple interventions. This drug serves as a neuroprotectant and prevents further neuronal loss.”

The drug – made by Toyama Chemical in Japan – has been designed to halt the progression of mild- tomoderate Alzheimer’s. The final stage of the research led by the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study is testing 450 people over a year.

They are taking T- 817MA alongside existing treatments after tests on rats showed it offered a protective effect.

Prof Schneider added: “We’re looking at a year timeline outcome, rather than six months or 18 months, because we feel we can detect a meaningful change within that period of time.”

Figures show that Britain is in the grip of a dementia epidemic, with a case diagnosed every three minutes.

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “While existing medications can help to temporarily improve symptoms they don’t stop the underlying brain changes which cause nerve cells to die.

“T- 817MA is being tested as a possible way of protecting nerve cells from damage caused by Alzheimer’s.”

Dr Clare Walton, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s unlikely we’ll find a single ‘ magic bullet’ drug... so studies like this that test a combination of therapies are important.”