Research to Prevent Alzheimer’s Will Target Group With Rare Form
(NEW YORK) -- A team of researchers will soon try out an
experimental drug that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease in a
group of people with a genetic mutation that makes it likely
they will develop the debilitating condition. Scientists will
begin a clinical trial of crenezumab in about 300 Colombians
whose genes predispose them to a rare form of Alzheimer’s that
hits very early — usually in the 40s or 50s — and can affect
multiple members of the same family. Funding for the study is
provided by the National Institutes of Health, Genentech and
Banner Health System. Genentech is the developer of the
experimental drug. There will also be a subjects with the same
mutation recruited in the U.S., but those people still need to
be identified. “Clinical trials will be done at a time when a
patient has no symptoms. We’re trying to stop or slow the onset
of the disease in this group of patients,” said Richard
Scheller, executive vice president of researc