A novel drug for Alzheimer’s just passed the first clinical testing on humans. Alzheimer’s disease is on a rampant rise, making it one of the most common old-age diseases that affect people at a later stage in their lives. While research has been ongoing for quite a long time now, finding a new clinical breakthrough in this has further enraptured the attention of the masses. A new novel drug has recently passed the very first phase of testing which has been done on humans. Up until now, there haven’t been many clinical studies conducted for Alzheimer’s but the same has recently changed course and that too, for the better. Before conducting clinical trials, it was already found to have beneficial impacts on memory developments as well as accessory symptoms when conducted with mice. A new drug, now named PRI-002, was developed by researchers from Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf both of which are located in Germany. While the possible reason and cause behind the induction of Alzheimer’s are still not known, it is believed that the protein production and any sort of anomaly with the same are believed to be the reason behind it. The PRI-002 has been found to have beneficial impacts in helping eliminate the toxic beta-amyloid oligomers in the body which has been found to have impacts in promoting the action of the self-replicating proteins which scientists believe are the primary causes behind the condition of Alzheimer’s. The team involved in the research behind this novel drug has already found the efficacy of this drug in helping reduce the signs and symptoms associated with Alzheimer like disease in the mice. The genetic engineering procedure which was done priorly through the insertion of a human mutant gene did find better impacts on the prevention of this condition altogether. With the success that they received with the pre-clinical trials, the researchers moved forth with the clinical trials, one of whose first phase was completed recently. In this phase of the study, the participants took daily doses of PRI-002 for 4 weeks straight. With the outcome at the end of the time, they found that the drug was safe enough for consumption by humans. Successfully passing this stage ensures that the same is perfectly safe for humans and wouldn’t impose any kind of crazy side effects. The same is thus proceeding forth to the second phase of evaluation in the people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Prof. Dieter Willbold, director of the Structural Biochemistry Institute at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Institute of Physical Biology at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, who is also the lead author of the study stated that their next goal is to prove its efficacy on the patients.
