Blarcamesine Shows Promising Results in Early Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Anavex Life Sciences has announced significant findings from a recent phase 2b/3 clinical trial
examining the efficacy of blarcamesine in patients with early Alzheimer’s
disease. The investigational therapy has shown promising results, demonstrating
both a reduction in amyloid-ß biomarkers and a slowing of brain atrophy.
The study, which included 508 participants across five
countries, compared the effects of blarcamesine with a placebo over a 48-week
period. Patients were evaluated using the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment
Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities
of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) subscales. The results revealed that
blarcamesine-treated patients experienced a notable improvement in cognitive
function, as indicated by a −1.783 change in ADAS-Cog scores compared to placebo.
Dr. Marwan Noel Sabbagh, professor of neurology and chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board,
emphasized the significance of these findings. “Blarcamesine stands out as
one of the first therapies to show efficacy on both cognitive function and biomarkers
of neurodegeneration,” Sabbagh stated.
In addition to cognitive benefits, MRI scans indicated a significant reduction in brain volume
loss among those treated with blarcamesine. The study found a reduction in
whole brain atrophy with a P-value of .0005, underscoring the drug’s potential
to slow disease progression.
Blarcamesine’s safety profile also appears favorable. The most common adverse event reported
was dizziness, which was generally mild to moderate in severity and transient
in nature. This occurred in 35.8% of participants during the titration phase
and 25.2% during the maintenance phase.
Christopher U Missling, PhD, president and CEO of Anavex, expressed optimism about the future of blarcamesine. He
acknowledged the invaluable contributions of study participants and
researchers, highlighting the company’s commitment to advancing this potential
treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Anavex Life Sciences continues to pioneer in the field of neurodegenerative
research, with blarcamesine positioning itself as a potentially transformative
therapy for early Alzheimer’s disease.
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