A breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills.
This disease is the most common cause of dementia — affecting the behavioral and social skills in a person's ability to function independently.
In the U.S. alone, approximately 5.8 million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, and approximately 487,000 people age 65 or older developed Alzheimer’s in 2019.
Symptoms, Early signs, and Causes:
At first, a person with Alzheimer's disease may be aware of having difficulty remembering things and organizing thoughts.
Early signs include difficulty remembering recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, memory impairments worsen and other symptoms develop.
Brain proteins fail to function normally, which disrupts the work of brain cells (neurons) and triggers a series of toxic events. Neurons are damaged, lose connections to each other and eventually die.
Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.
About the Treatment:
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE),
Cassava Sciences, Inc. today announced the results
of an interim analysis
from an open-label
study of simufilam.
A lead drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
About Simufilam:
Simufilam is a proprietary, small molecule (oral) drug that restores the normal shape and function of altered filamin A (FLNA), a scaffolding protein, in the brain. Altered FLNA in the brain disrupts the normal function of neurons, leading to Alzheimer’s pathology, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation. The underlying science for simufilam is published in peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Aging, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation, and Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Cassava Sciences is also developing an investigational diagnostic, called SavaDx, to detect Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test.
Simufilam and SavaDx were both developed in-house.
Cassava Sciences notes that it plans to start a Phase 3 clinical trial in the second half of 2021.
“Experience-based on longitudinal studies of ambulatory patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease suggest that scores on ADAS-cog decline by 6 - 12 points per year”, according to FDA’s Prescription Information sheet for ARICEPT® (donepezil), a drug approved for the treatment of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.
“We could not be more pleased with these interim results,” said Remi Barbier, President & CEO. “We would have been satisfied to show simufilam stabilizes cognition in patients over 6 months. An improvement in cognition and behavior tells us this drug candidate has the potential to provide lasting treatment effects for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Cassava Sciences owns worldwide development and commercial rights to its research programs in Alzheimer’s disease, and related technologies.
About Cassava Sciences, Inc.
Cassava Sciences’ mission is to discover and develop innovations for chronic, neurodegenerative conditions. Over the past 10 years, Cassava Sciences has combined state-of-the-art technology with new insights in neurobiology to develop novel solutions for Alzheimer’s disease.
References:
https://www.cassavasciences.com/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350447
https://www.alz.org/alzheimer_s_dementia
