Source: Fortune
Summary
Researchers have reported that an experimental drug, diranersen, may help slow early Alzheimer’s disease by lowering levels of a brain protein called tau. The study, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, found that diranersen slowed cognitive decline in a small subset of patients, comparable to amyloid therapy. Biogen, the company behind the drug, plans to conduct a larger study to prove its benefit. The drug works by instructing a tau-producing gene to produce less, rather than attacking tau buildup directly.
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The announcement sounds familiar. Biogen’s diranersen is another attempt to fight Alzheimer’s disease, this time by targeting tau protein. The company’s study found promising results, but with a twist: the lowest dose had the strongest effect, contrary to expectations. The drug’s mechanism is novel, instructing a tau-producing gene to produce less, rather than attacking tau buildup directly. This approach may reinvigorate interest in tau mechanisms, as Dr. Reisa Sperling noted. The study’s results are encouraging, but it’s still early days.
As the Alzheimer’s Tau Platform study begins, researchers will test various experimental anti-tau therapies, including a vaccine designed to train the immune system to recognize and fight a specific portion of the tau protein. Other studies hint at new ways of attacking Alzheimer’s, such as using an experimental cholesterol-lowering drug to lower buildup of Alzheimer’s-related proteins.
Author: Evan Null
