A new drug that can halt amyloid protein production in the brain could be the first treatment for Alzheimer's to receive approval.

The trial of the tablet produced by Merck was originally conducted to assess its safety. The test results revealed that it could also effectively "switch off" the toxic production of a specific protein called amyloid, which when accumulated will result in the formation of plaques. Plaques serve as the hallmark of the disease.

Like Us on Facebook

The head of trial Matt Kennedy stated "today there are very limited therapeutic options available for people with Alzheimer's disease, and those that exist provide only short-term improvement to the cognitive and functional symptoms. They do not directly target the underlying disease processes." He stressed the urgent need for the new drug.

The trial involved 32 patients with early stage Alzheimer's. They were given the drug "Verubecestat." The patients took the tablet once a day for seven days while healthy participants took the drug for 14 days.

Although the trial was only conducted for a short period to show significant changes in the plaque accumulation scanned by MRI, the fluid samples from the brain showed the effectiveness of the drug in reducing the levels of the two building blocks of amyloid protein. The action of the drug is the blockage of BACE1, an enzyme that helps in the production of amyloid precursors. People who seem protected against AD manifest BACE1 gene mutation.

The important role of amyloid protein in the development of Alzheimer's was first proposed by neuroscientists John Hardy. The accumulation of protein is believed to cause degradation of healthy neurons which results in memory loss, personality changes, and cognitive decline. The professor voiced excitement about the new drug saying "this is a very nice drug and I'm sure Merck are feeling very pleased with themselves."

Dr. Rosa Sancho of Alzheimer's Research UK stated: "it has been over a decade since a new drug was licensed for the treatment of dementia, so we urgently need new medicines that can provide real benefit to people living with dementia."

With regards to the release of new Alzheimer's drug, Kennedy noted that "It is premature to speculate on availability" as the team still anticipates the results of the "phase three clinical trials."