Alzheimer's drug may 'prevent early stages'

The drug is set to be used in clinical trials conducted by UK-based research firm MAC Clinical Research.

“Trials in people are an essential step in the development of any new drug so it’s really positive to see this promising research being taken forward,” said James Pickett, head of research at Alzheimer’s Society, who currently funds the research.

“It is encouraging that our drug is being taken forward and will be tested on humans

Drug developer David Allsop

“Alzheimer’s Society will continue to fund drug development research like this to ensure the best new treatments reach the people who desperately need them as soon as possible,” Pickett said.

According to recent figures, roughly 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, with those figures likely to surpass 1 million by 2021.

The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It begins when a protein called beta-amyloid forms senile plaques that start to clump together in the brain, damaging nerve cells and leading to memory loss and confusion, Lancaster University said.

The new drug, developed by David Allsop, a professor of neuroscience at Lancaster University and Mark Taylor, from the university’s Faculty of Health and Medicine, has been shown to reduce the number of these senile plaques and the amount of brain inflammation and oxidative damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Many people who are mildly forgetful may go on to develop the disease because senile plaques start forming years before any symptoms manifest themselves,” Allsop said.

“The ultimate aim is to give the drug at that stage, to stop any more damage to the brain.”

Lancaster University launched the ’Defying Dementia’ campaign earlier this year, in order to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and the new drug, and to raise funds for further research.

“It is encouraging that our drug is being taken forward and will be tested on humans,” Allsop said.