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New Alzheimer’s Vaccine TrialThe Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC) has been selected to participate in a new nationwide clinical trial for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). BU ADC investigators will be partnering with Elan and Wyeth pharmaceutical companies, the sponsors of this clinical trial, who developed the new vaccine called bapineuzumab (pronounced bap-e-new’-zoo-mab). Bapineuzumab is expected to increase the clearance of beta amyloid from the brain. Beta amyloid is a small protein that leads to the amyloid plaques in the brain of AD patients and is widely believed to be the initial cause of AD. The vaccine used in this clinical trial is referred to as passive immunotherapy. This type of therapeutic approach delivers synthetically engineered anti-amyloid antibodies directly to the participant’s bloodstream with the aim of clearing and preventing beta amyloid accumulation. In an earlier trial by Elan-Wyeth, mild to moderate AD patients were provided with a synthetic form of the beta amyloid peptide to stimulate the body’s immune response to clear beta amyloid from the brain. Preliminary results indicated observable amyloid plaque clearance, improved memory and cognitive functions, and reduced levels of tau protein (a biological marker known to be elevated in AD) in the cerebral spinal fluid. Researchers believe that the passive immunotherapeutic approach with bapineuzumab may be as effective as active immunization in clearing beta amyloid from the brain. It may also have the added benefit of eliminating the need for patients to stimulate their own immune response to the protein. “This is an exciting time for AD treatment research,” said Dr. Robert Stern, Co-Director of the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical and Research Program, Associate Director of the BU ADC Clinical Core, and the BU principal investigator for the new vaccine study. “Bapineuzumab is one of several new experimental treatments for AD in phase III clinical trials that may actually help modify the disease process.” The BU ADC has been actively involved in clinical trials for another potential disease modifying drug, Flurizan (Myriad Pharmaceuticals) over the past two years. Results from those trials are expected within one year. For more information regarding studies being conducted at the BU ADC please contact Erin Whalen at 617-414-1078 or ewhalen@bu.edu or visit our website. |
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