Victorian Alzheimer's Disease Patient First to be Treated with New Drug
By Petrina Smith
Thursday, 29 January, 2015
Thursday, 29 January, 2015
Caulfield ϳԹȺ in Victoria is the first hospital in the world to treat a patient with disease with a breakthrough new drug.
Alfred Health, which runs Caulfield ϳԹȺ, was selected by the overseas drug company to lead the first trial on patients with the disease. The drug Anavex is designed to relieve symptoms and slow progression of the dieasese. Results will be known within a year and experts hope it will revolutionise treatment for this most common form of dementia.
Director of Aged Psychiatry at Caulfield ϳԹȺ and study lead, Associate Professor Steve Macfarlane said the global race to find better treatments for Alzheimer'sdisease means the phase 2 trial will be fast tracked.
“Existing drug treatments for Alzheimer'ssolely improve a patient’s symptoms, but don’t halt or cure the disease, which is why the most recent trials are focusing on being able to modify the disease to slow or stop its progression,” A/Prof Macfarlane said.
“This trial – Anavex 2-73 - is unique and exciting because it aims to both improve memory and slow the disease. Another feature of the Anavex trial is the absence of a placebo; all participants in the study will receive the active drug.
“Ultimately, we are hoping to find treatments that can prevent, halt or reverse the course of Alzheimer’s,” A/Prof Macfarlane said.
Caulfield ϳԹȺ's clinical trials team is recognised worldwide for its 30 year's experience. and is currently recruiting patients for the study. To be eligible to participate, people should haveearly-stage Alzheimer's Disease and be on the cognitive enhancer, Aricept. Outcomes will be measured through computerised cognitive tests and EEG.
Questions about trial participation can be directed to Michael Kornhauser, Caulfield ϳԹȺ AgedPsychiatry clinical trials coordinator, on 9076 6110 or email adclinicaltrials@cgmc.org.au.
Related Articles
'Enhanced cleaning' cuts hospital-acquired infections by one-third
Australian researchers who introduced so-called 'enhanced cleaning' measures onto several...
Improving success rates: lactic acid in IVF
The co-author of research published in Biomolecules explains how the metabolism of the...
Hep C point-of-care test helps marginalised populations
A program using diagnostic technologies at the 'point of care' is helping combat...