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Trial of new Alzheimer’s drug shows promising results

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July 25, 2018 at 5:56 p.m. EDT
A PET scan shows the brain on the left has little or no amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark for Alzheimer’s. The brain on the right is positive for amyloid, which is shown as red and yellow in the image. (Alzheimer’s Association/IDEAS-Study)

A major study announced Wednesday gives significant weight to the hypothesis that targeting amyloid plaques in the brain could hold the key to fighting Alzheimer’s disease, offering fresh hope in the battle against a devastating illness that has been impossible to cure.

The study, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago, found that BAN2401, an anti-amyloid antibody, was successful in slowing the progression of the disease and reducing the amount of amyloid accumulated in the brain in 856 patients with early Alzheimer’s.