Abstract
Overview
Alzheimer's disease is an extraordinarily active realm of research, with
nearly 100 products in clinical development and many more at the discovery and
preclinical stages. The competition in this arena is fierce, but the company
that produces the next innovative compound for Alzheimer's disease will earn a
rich return on its investment. This report provides a detailed assessment of
Alzheimer's disease and examines:
- Alzheimer's disease pathology, causes, methods of diagnosis, and
epidemiology
- Current pharmacologic treatment options for Alzheimer's disease
- The wide range of Alzheimer's disease therapy approaches at the
investigational stage
- The numerous molecular targets being explored for their potential to alter
the course of Alzheimer's disease
- R&D challenges in advancing Alzheimer's disease drugs through the clinical
pipeline
- Future directions in Alzheimer's disease research
Alzheimer's disease, the most common chronic neurodegenerative disease, is a
progressive, incurable condition characterized by cognitive impairment. The
efficacy of available treatment options is very limited. This, in combination
with the huge potential market for Alzheimer's disease - more than 5 million
patients in the United States alone suffer from the disease, and this figure
is increasing with every decade - has placed Alzheimer's disease prominently
in the sights of pharmaceutical companies trying to come up with new and
improved drugs.
Developing effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease has been and continues to
be challenging. Alzheimer's disease attacks the most complex and least
understood region of the human anatomy: the nervous system. Researchers have
figured out different aspects of the mechanisms of the disease, but are unsure
how the various pieces fit together into pathogenic pathways. As a result,
drug development has been slow and painstaking, with numerous incremental
advancements and more than a few reversals. Alzheimer's disease research has
been stung by the recent setbacks of several novel compounds in late-stage
clinical trials. The class of drugs that has suffered the most drastic loss in
status since its hopeful entry into the clinic about a decade ago is the
gamma-secretase inhibitors, following the failure of the front-running
candidate, semagacestat, in Phase III in 2010.
There are a multitude of ideas about interventions that might arrest the
course of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, a broad range of molecular targets are
being explored. The therapies under evaluation include those aimed at
compensating for the loss or dysfunction of neurotransmitters involved in
cognition; those that intervene in the process of amyloid-beta production and
aggregation; and others that target, for example, tau pathology,
neuroprotection, cholesterol and energy homeostasis, and second messenger
modulation.
This Insight Pharma Report, Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Pipelines, R&D
Challenges, and Future Directions, provides a detailed assessment of
Alzheimer's disease. Following a brief introduction to the disease, Chapter 2
reviews its symptoms and pathology, presumed causes, methods of diagnosis, and
epidemiology. Chapter 3 explores available drug therapies for the disease;
Chapter 4, the wide range of treatment approaches now at the investigational
stage; and Chapter 5, future directions in Alzheimer's disease research.
About the Author
Mark C. Via, an editor at CTB International Publishing, has more than
16 years of experience writing and editing for pharmaceutical trade
publications. He holds a BA in history from Williams College.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Alzheimer's Disease: Background and Pathology
- 2.1. Pathology of Alzheimer's Disease
- 2.2. Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
- 2.3. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
- 2.4. Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease
Chapter 3 Current Pharmacologic Treatment Options
- 3.1. Cholinesterase InhibitorsAricept (Donepezil HCl)
- Exelon (Rivastigmine Tartrate)
- Razadyne (Galantamine HBr)
- 3.2. NMDA Receptor AntagonistsNamenda (Memantine HCl)
- 3.3. Other Treatments
Chapter 4 Compounds in Development: The Next Generation of Drugs for AD
- 4.1. Cholinergic DysfunctionAstraZeneca/Targacept
- EnVivo Pharmaceuticals
- Abbott Laboratories
- Anavex Life Sciences
- 4.2. Glutamatergic DysfunctionServier/Cortex Pharmaceuticals
- AC Immune
- Addex Therapeutics
- 4.3. Serotonergic DysfunctionNanotherapeutics
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Abbott Laboratories
- Suven Life Sciences
- Biotie Therapies/Roche
- 4.4. Histaminergic Dysfunction
- 4.5. Amyloid Cascade: Inhibiting ProductionBristol Myers-Squibb
- Chiesi Farmaceutici
- AC Immune
- ExonHit Therapeutics
- Sonexa Therapeutics
- QR Pharma
- Eisai
- Noscira
- Medisyn Technologies
- Eli Lilly
- Roche/Siena Biotech
- Merck
- EnVivo Pharmaceuticals
- High Point Pharmaceuticals
- Cellzome/Johnson & Johnson
- NeuroGenetic Pharmaceuticals
- Cortica Neurosciences
- 4.6. Amyloid Cascade: Stimulating RemovalPfizer/Johnson & Johnson
- Eli Lilly
- Roche/Genentech/AC Immune
- Novartis/Cytos Biotechnology
- AFFiRiS/GlaxoSmithKline
- United Biomedical
- Merck/Acumen Pharmaceuticals/Merz Pharma
- BioArctic Neuroscience/Eisai
- Biogen Idec/Neurimmune Therapeutics
- Sanofi-Aventis
- Boehringer Ingelheim/Ablynx
- Intellect Neurosciences
- Araclon Biotech
- ArmaGen Technologies
- TransTech Pharma
- 4.7. Amyloid Cascade: Preventing AggregationPrana Biotechnology
- Bellus Health
- Elan/Transition Therapeutics/Proteostasis Therapeutics
- ProteoTech
- Archer Pharmaceuticals
- Probiodrug
- D-Pharm
- AC Immune
- NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals
- Senexis
- 4.8. Tau PathologyTauRx Pharmaceuticals
- Allon Therapeutics
- Noscira
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Oligomerix
- AC Immune
- Intellect Neurosciences
- Signum Biosciences/GlaxoSmithKline
- 4.9. NeuroprotectionNewron Pharmaceuticals
- 4.10. NeurorestorationCeregene
- NsGene
- Enkam Pharmaceuticals
- 4.11. Cholesterol and Energy HomeostasisTakeda Pharmaceutical/Zinfandel
Pharmaceuticals
- Metabolic Solutions Development
- Resverlogix
- 4.12. Second Messenger Modulation
- 4.13. Stem Cell Therapy
Chapter 5 Conclusion: Challenges and Future Directions
References
Company Index
FIGURES
- Figure 2.1. Amyloid Cascade Mechanism
- Figure 3.1. Treatment Algorithm for Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
- Figure 3.2. Treatment Algorithm for Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer's Disease
- Figure 3.3. Treatment Algorithm for Severe Alzheimer's Disease
TABLE
- Table 4.1. Drugs in Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Pipelines, R&D Challenges, and Future Directions - Overview published by Insight Pharma Reports in June 30, 2012. This report price starts from US $ 595.
