July 1st, 2008
Flurizan failure does not end Alzheimer's hope
The failure of Flurizan in its late-stage trial does not end the debate we mentioned a few weeks ago concerning GSMs, amyloid plaques and Alzheimer’s Disease. (Picture from Myriad Genetics.)
Myriad Genetics immediately pulled the drug and its stock fell almost $3/share. The company said it will concentrate on genetic testing after presenting its findings in detail later this month.
Flurizan aimed to stop development of all amyloid plaques. Gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs) only go after the long ones. The idea is that just as there is good and bad cholesterol, there are good and bad amyloids. Long strings bad, short strings good.
By increasing the number of short strings, which also act to prevent development of the long strings, you can keep them from collecting and blocking brain arteries. That’s the theory, anyway.
Theory is one thing, practice another. Flurizan had good theories behind it but failed to help patients in practice. The Alzheimer’s community is keeping its fingers crossed.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Subscribe to ZDNet Healthcare via Email alerts or RSS.
