A daily pill that could be the first to slow Alzheimer’s disease is being considered for use by the NHS.
Officials are assessing whether hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM) shows enough promise to get the green light for NHS patients.
The drug attacks a protein called tau that builds up in tangles in the brain, affecting memory and cognition.
When taken as a tablet, it does not require the complex infusions required by other recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Data from early trials suggests it may slow the progression of the disease, with regulators set to make a decision as early as April.
If approved, it would be the biggest milestone for the disease in decades and offer hope to millions of people worldwide.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is expected to affect more than a million Britons by the middle of this century.
But there is growing hope that the NHS must prepare for a future where the disease is treatable and even curable.
A daily pill that could be the first to slow Alzheimer’s disease is being considered for use by the NHS (stock image)
Officials assess whether hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM) shows enough promise to get the green light for NHS patients (stock image)
Developed by Aberdeen-based TauRX, early studies suggested the drug leads to sustained cognitive improvement in early, clinically detectable stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
The experimental drug belongs to a class of drugs known as tau aggregation inhibitors, which it is hoped can undo the tangle, slowing and possibly even stopping memory loss altogether.
Former NHS clinical director for dementia and emeritus professor at the University of Manchester, Professor Alistair Burns, said the potential is ‘great news for people with Alzheimer’s disease, their families and carers’.
“We have reached an exciting time in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” he told the Telegraph.
‘After a generation of no new therapies, we are on the cusp of a range of new treatments, including a tau-targeted oral therapy, that have the real potential to slow the disease process.’
The decision follows mixed results from two breakthrough Alzheimer’s drugs – Lecanemab and Donanemab – which have been working with British regulators.
Despite both being given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), hopes were quickly extinguished when the healthcare watchdog, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), found that the NHS was not getting value for money offered.
Some experts question the potential benefits of HMTM, as the latest data has yet to be peer-reviewed.
Findings presented at this year’s Alzheimer’s Disease International conference showed little or no benefit over placebo on memory and cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
But the company said this was due to the unexpected effects of the placebo and is believed to provide further evidence and results.
The drug also appears to have a better safety profile than other medications, suggesting it is less likely to cause adverse side effects.
Dr. Richard Oakley, deputy director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer’s Society charity, said: ‘Although the placebo was expected to have no effect at the dose it was given, it accumulated in the bodies of those given over time. participants.
‘However, HMTM did reduce levels of a marker for brain cell loss.’
He added: ‘In a small subset of participants with mild cognitive impairment who have features of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains, HMTM appeared to have a beneficial effect.’
The MHRA, NICE and TauRX have all been contacted for comment.