"Is Hope Near?"
Big pharmaceutical companies have struggled for years to develop a drug that will halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a terrible neurological ailment that begins with memory loss and steadily robs patients of brain function, leading to dementia and death. Success would have an enormous societal impact and help to contain the cost of an ever-increasing population of Alzheimer's patients, which number an estimated five million in the U.S. – and 26 million worldwide. One of the challenges to formulating a drug is that neurodegenerative diseases generally are hard to treat. "There's concern that amyloid-lowering agents are effective only if given very early or even before symptoms appear," says Dr. Samuel Gandy, director of the Alzheimer's research center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. To have an effective treatment, patients may have to be identified in their 50s or early 60s via screening.
- Dr. Sam Gandy, Professor, Neurology, Psychiatry, Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Learn more:
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748703754104577237652227653404.html?od=BOL_mp_commented_today#articleTabs_article=2