New Alzheimer’s Drug is Promising, British Researchers Say

British researchers say a new drug they are developing for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is producing promising results in tests on some patients.

The drug, called CPHPC, when taken for three months has been able to get rid of a protein called SAP, which is believed to be responsible for causing Alzheimer’s disease, said researchers from the University College London.

The study results give the research team “cautious optimism” that CPHPC might someday be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s, but they cautioned that it is too soon to say for sure and that more research is necessary to fully evaluate the benefits and risks of the drug.

As the world’s population grows older, Alzheimer’s is an emerging threat to millions of people, the researchers said. Other Alzheimer’s treatment drugs, such as bapineuzumab made by Wyeth and Elan, have been disappointing in clinical tests, officials said.

About 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable, progressive brain disorder which destroys brain cells and causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. The disease is fatal and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

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