BIOSPECTRUM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | http://www.biospectrumindia.com ANALYSIS^21
The need is great, barriers are many and rewards high- this is the current scenario
of Alzheimer’s drug development. It’s been 14 years since the last new drug was
approved for Alzheimer’s by the FDA and for long Alzheimer’s disease has been a
graveyard for experimental research. Amid all this, Biogen’s recent successful trial
of an investigational candidate for Alzheimer’s has brought back hope for millions
of patients. World Alzheimer’s Day is on September 21, BioSpectrum analyses the
challenges and opportunities in developing a drug for Alzheimer’s disease.ARE WE CLOSE TO
ALZHEIMER’S CURE?
I
mproved healthcare facilities, better access
to quality health infrastructure and growing
awareness of good lifestyle is helping people live
longer. Yes, that is good news! But with old age comes
age related disorders like dementia that rob elders of
their cognitive abilities, severely impacting their day
to day life. Today, across geographies, many elderly
suffer from disorders that fall under the umbrella
term dementia and despite concerted efforts from the
scientific community and pharmaceutical industry,
researchers have frustratingly failed to develop drugs
for some of the most frightening age related diseases.
Alzheimer’s is one of the most common type of
dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is increasing rapidly
in frequency as the world’s population ages and more
people enter themajor risk bracket for this age-related disorder. From
the 5.3 million US citizens affected now, experts
predict that the number of victims will increase to
13 million or more by 2050 and worldwide the total
number of affected individuals is expected to increase
to a staggering 100 million. The cost of care in the
US, currently more than $200 billion annually, will
grow to an unsupportable $1 trillion annually by
2050.
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative, progressive
disease of the brain, which leads to loss of memory
and cognitive functions. It also involves parts of the
brain which control thought, memory, and language
and over time can seriously affect a person’s ability
to carry out daily activities. Alzheimer’s accounts for
60-80 per cent of dementia cases. The disease was
first discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer
and since then, has been difficult
to treat. Alzheimer’s is
a progressive
disease, in
which