Great news for caregivers and their loved ones battling Alzheimer’s disease! Acumen Pharmaceuticals has developed a new experimental drug called ACI193 that’s showing some promising results.
You know how challenging it can be to care for someone with Alzheimer’s. This illness is often associated with a toxic protein in the brain called amyloid beta oligomers. These nasty proteins form plaques that interfere with brain functions, leading to the symptoms we associate with Alzheimer’s.
Well, ACI193 targets these harmful proteins, much like the recently approved drug Leqembi by Biogen and Eisai. The aim is to reduce the damage these proteins cause and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s.
In its first trial with people, the drug was generally well-tolerated, which is an encouraging sign. This trial involved 62 patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. The results were presented at a big conference in Amsterdam hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Some participants experienced side effects like brain swelling (known as ARIA-E) and bleeding in the brain (ARIA-H). But here’s the interesting part: these side effects might indicate that the drug is doing its job.
Even better, those who received higher doses of ACI193 saw a reduction in those harmful plaques after just 6 to 12 weeks. That’s quite fast! The team at Acumen suggests that the drug could be given as a monthly intravenous infusion, which might fit quite well into a regular care routine.
This is still early days, and the drug will need to pass more rigorous tests before it can be approved. But it’s an exciting development in the quest to find more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s. We’ll be watching this space closely and keeping you updated on the progress!
