world
Experimental Drug Diranersen Lowers Tau but Shows Mixed Results on Cognitive Decline in Early Alzheimer’s Study
Researchers presented results Tuesday from a 400-person trial of diranersen at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London. The lowest dose given every six months produced the clearest signal of reduced decline on multiple cognitive measures.
Jul 14, 9:24 AM·1m read1 source
The IndependentAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
An experimental drug lowered levels of the brain protein tau and showed signs of slowing cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported Tuesday. The Independent reported that Biogen’s diranersen was tested in a study of about 400 participants who were randomly assigned to different doses or placebo.
The lowest dose, given every six months, produced the strongest effect on cognitive decline.
In one test that dose was linked to a 26 percent reduction in decline compared with placebo. Five of six brain tests showed that diranersen recipients’ memory and cognitive abilities worsened more slowly than those of placebo recipients, according to Dr. Cath Mummery of University College London, who led the study.
Side effects included injection-site pain and temporary confusion lasting about a week. No signs of brain inflammation were observed. Diranersen is administered by injection into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.
Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals had announced in May that the lowest dose showed the strongest effect. Biogen said it is planning a larger study to confirm the drug’s benefit. The University of California, San Francisco opened the Alzheimer’s Tau Platform study last week to test additional anti-tau therapies.
The first therapy in that platform is the tau vaccine AADvac1. NewAmsterdam Pharma plans to begin a study testing whether obicetrapib reduces Alzheimer’s risk in APOE4 carriers. Denali Therapeutics is developing drugs that use iron-transport technology to cross the blood-brain barrier and target tau and amyloid.
