A possible treatment for Alzheimer’s is seeing unprecedented success at U of S

Around 747,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are working on “NeuroEPO,” a new drug that will be undergoing its second phase of human trials.

As of now, most drugs prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients only treat symptoms of the disease without actually affecting the root cause. Alzheimer’s is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that destroys brain cells, causing thinking ability and memory to deteriorate over time.

Dr. Ron Geyer, a biochemist and professor working with the new drug, says that NeuroEPO has made great progress in its development.

“There’s been safety studies and a Phase 2 clinical trial that really have shown unprecedented results in terms of cognitive improvement,” said Geyer.

NeuroEPO works by increasing the levels of red blood cells by acting on the kidney. It also affects activity in the brain by repairing damaged neurons as well as promoting the growth or nerve genesis of new neurons in damaged areas of the brain.

Geyer said that from the first stage of human trials, they saw great improvements.

“NeuroEPO in the Phase 2 trial — where it was given for a year, three times a week — stabilized the cognitive function of 82 per cent of participants, and of all the participants that got NeuroEPO, 54 per cent actually showed improved cognitive function, which is really unprecedented. And then in the control, our placebo group, 86 per cent of the patients after one year continued to show decreased cognitive abilities,” said Geyer.

In addition to the drug, researchers are developing innovative diagnostic tests that will help detect beta-amyloid plaques, which are prevalent in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s before any symptoms become visible.4

Along with a pet scan, which will take place at the beginning and end of the trial, there will also be a blood test to test for amyloid proteins in the blood, as well as an MRI to measure a patient’s brain volume due to the disease causing the brain to shrink.

Geyer said that due to the drug having such a short lifespan in the blood, researchers were forced to find a new way to administer it.

“To get NeuroEPO to work, we had to work with another company called Rocket Science Health to develop a way to deliver it through your nose directly to the brain, and this eliminates the short lifespan of the drug because it does not enter the blood; it goes directly to the brain,” said Geyer.

According to Geyer, Phase 2 of the trials will operate quite close to home.

“Phase 2 will be all done in Saskatchewan, and in the Phase 3 study, we’ll have a significant portion of patients from Saskatchewan also,” said Geyer.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of this story, correcting the prevalence of Alzheimer’s in Canada.