An annual report has found there are 138 substances being tested globally, which target different aspects of the disease.
“What strikes me is not just the number of new drugs, which is increasing year on year, but their range of targets, the range in which they work, giving us multiple shots on goal,” said Professor James Rowe, professor of cognitive neurology at the University of Cambridge.
And most of the drugs are in early-stage trials, which often find the medicine fails to work, said Professor Rob Howard, a professor of old age psychiatry at University College London.
Some of the drugs are being tested in young people at high risk of Alzheimer’s (Photo: Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is one of the leading causes of death in western countries such as the UK. But current medicines can only slightly alleviate the symptoms, of memory loss and confusion.
But they have not been used in the NHS, because, while they slightly slowed progression of memory loss in trials, the difference was too small to be noticeable by patients or their families. They also caused dangerous side effects such as strokes and brain swelling.
But the poor performance of various amyloid-destroying drugs has led scientists to develop medicines that target other aspects of the disease.
The new analysis finds that 11 per cent of drugs in Alzheimer’s trials now target tau.
Protecting brain cells
Drugs that are designed to protect brain cells and their synapses make up 6 per cent of the total.
“Neuro-inflammation is a highly active area of therapeutic development, with 24 drugs representing 17 per cent of the pipeline and clinical development.”
It is being tested in people with Alzheimer’s disease in tablet form.
Existing medicines
Many drugs have several effects on the body. “A blood pressure tablet may have a side effect that it can help accelerate the clearance of junk proteins like amyloid and tau,” said Professor Rowe. “That’s a very powerful way potentially to accelerate access to safe and effective treatments.”
Cognitive enhancers
There are other drugs in development that are aimed to ease the behavioural symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as agitation and aggression.
“I anticipate if we’re going to see any advances in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in the next five to 10 years, it will be through better symptomatic treatments, not through better disease modifiers.”
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