An experimental Alzheimer’s drug called diranersen has shown promise in slowing cognitive decline in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, according to new research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

How Diranersen Works

Diranersen targets a key brain protein linked to the disease, reducing levels of tau, a protein that researchers believe plays a major role in the progression of the disease. The study involved about 400 people with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers said a larger clinical trial will be needed to determine whether the drug provides a meaningful benefit for patients. The findings suggest the drug not only lowered tau levels but also slowed worsening memory and thinking abilities in some study participants.

Current Alzheimer’s Treatments

Existing Alzheimer’s drugs, including lecanemab and donanemab, target amyloid plaques, the better-known protein buildup associated with the disease. Those treatments can modestly slow cognitive decline but do not stop Alzheimer’s progression.

Diranersen takes a different approach, using a genetic technique called an antisense oligonucleotide to reduce production of the tau protein. If you lower tau production, you are lowering the amount of the abnormal tau that needs to be cleared by the microglia, by the clearance mechanism in the brain.

The study also found some side effects, including pain at the injection site and temporary confusion that developed several days after treatment and lasted about a week. Researchers said there were no signs of brain inflammation, a serious potential side effect associated with some anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s treatments.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.