Friday, 11 April 2008

Alzheimers War: A New Hope

In the US a new treatment for Alzheimers is showing encouraging signs in the early stages of testing. The drug etanercept appears to have found a way of improving brain cell communication according to the US Institute for Neurological Research.

While there is improvement it appears that the affect plateau out after a weekly does at about 3 months, but patients do not return to normal but Prof. Edward Tobinick leading the research does say:

"What we see is an improvement in their ability to think and calculate, their memory improves, their verbal ability improves, they find words easier, they seem happier, and we often also see an improvement in gait in those patients whose gait is affected."


Obviously more tested is still required to see if there are any other issues as yet undiscovered. But having lived with a Grandmother who was unable to do much of the above for many of her last years any improvement in quality of live would be welcomed, and if this does gain approval would greatly enhance the lives of over 400,000 Alzheimers sufferes in the UK.

LINK: Alzheimers Society

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