Johns Hopkins University (JHU) was awarded an estimated $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to clinically test an Alzheimer's drug, which could possibly delay or stop the onset of the disease.
The 5-year grant will fund the ongoing HOPE4MCl Phase 3 clinical trial for AGB101 (a proprietary low-dose formulation of levetiracetam that is used as an anticonvulsant usually given to treat certain kinds of seizures in patient with epilepsy.). The research previously spearheaded by neuroscientist Michela Gallagher found that this drug when given to patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment appears to calm brain's hyperactivity.
"The state of the science points to hippocampal overactivity in aMCI as a strong predictor of progression to Alzheimer's dementia and the earliest point at which this pre-dementia condition can be diagnosed before significant irreversible neurodegeneration kills brain cells," said Dr. Gallagher.
"We expect our upcoming trial to demonstrate efficacy in preserving cognition and memory in aMCI patients while delaying progression to the clinical stage of Alzheimer's dementia," the specialist added.
Amnesic mild cognitive impairment is a pre-dementia stage of Alzheimer's that is distinctly characterized with memory loss. Because no cure has been found yet, studies reveal that within seven to ten years, this will most likely progress to Alzheimer's. Statistics also reveal that this has affected approximately 25 million worldwide and is expected to increase twice as much in the next 15 years.
A collaborative team between JHU, NIH's National Institute of Aging, and AgeneBio, a biopharmaceutical company that helps fight neurodegenerative disorders, will work on the trial. They are expecting a timetable of up to two years.
The HOPE4MCl trial is the NIH's National Institute of Aging's way to address Alzheimer's and to attain its goal of effectively curing the disease by 2025. "We believe our novel approach to delaying the onset of Alzheimer's dementia by targeting aMCI offers promising hope to solving this medical crisis facing millions of patients and their families," said Jerry McLaughlin, AgeneBio President and CEO.
In accordance with the Hopkins conflict of interest policies, Gallagher will not be participating in the study as she owns AgeneBio stock.
