Trends in drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease.....

In continuation of my update on Alzheimer' disease and drug discovery...

We  know that Alzheimer’s disease(named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60. 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia(loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities) among older people. Dementia is the  Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s and Alzheimer's is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050. 

Future drugs for Alzheimer’s disease : 

Thirty years ago, we knew very little about Alzheimer’s disease (with four medications approved so for...). Since then, scientists have made many important advances. Research supported by NIA and other organizations has expanded knowledge of brain function in healthy older people, identified ways we might lessen normal age-related declines in mental function, and deepened our understanding of the disease. Many scientists and physicians are now working together to untangle the genetic, biological, and environmental factors that, over many years, ultimately result in Alzheimer’s. This effort is bringing us closer to the day when we will be able to manage successfully or even prevent this devastating disease.

A recent research survey claim that, symptomatic market will remain active in this disease. New symptomatic entrants to the market will include Aricept patch and the first-in-class 5-HT6 receptor antagonist SB-742457.  Datamonitor forecasts that the current late-stage pipeline will yield three blockbusters, but this is by no means guaranteed considering the high risk of failure in Phase III Alzheimer’s disease trials. Of the pipeline drugs, Datamonitor believes that bapineuzumab(an antibody to the beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques) and solanezumab (a humanized antibody that binds to soluble ß-amyloid and thereby may draw the peptide away from the brain through the blood and this could reduce the formation of amyloid plaque)have the most commercial and clinical potential. Research survey conclude that value of the Alzheimer’s disease market across the seven major markets was $4.7bn in 2009 and is forecast to reach $11.9bn by 2019. More....