TORONTO, July 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Several
physicians recognized for their contributions to clinical research
and advances in the treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease
today called for immediate changes to how healthcare professionals
approach the management of the disease.
Citing statistics that show a lack of diagnosis and use of
currently available prescription medicine proven to have important
positive clinical impact, Gary Small, M.D., and Rachelle Doody,
M.D., Ph.D., said that better education of primary care doctors to
eliminate misconceptions is a critical first step to give people
with Alzheimer's disease a "fighting chance." They emphasized that
drugs that affect the cholinergic system are the only drugs shown
to have a positive impact on all stages of Alzheimer's disease –
this has been established by two decades of clinical trials and
real world observational studies. Furthermore, they also pointed
out new data published by Dr. Harald Hampel, M.D., Ph.D.,
supporting important, new information on the role medicines
targeting the cholinergic system may have in Alzheimer's
patients.
According to the Alzheimer's Association and published
research:
- 46.8 million people worldwide1 and 5.4 million
people in the United
States2 are thought to be suffering from
Alzheimer's disease, with the numbers expected to reach 120 million
globally by 2050.
- Less than 50% of affected individuals are correctly diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease3.
- Less than 25% of the diagnosed patients receive
treatment4.
- If prescribed treatment, less than 50% of people suffering from
Alzheimer's disease remain on therapy after 4
years5.
"It is unfortunate that only a minority of primary care doctors
believe they have received sufficient training to diagnose the
disease," commented Dr. Small, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at
UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience
and Human Behavior. "We see patients regularly for whom the
diagnosis of Alzheimer's was missed. Unfortunately, the result is
people with the disease are not getting treated. This robs them of
the ability to perform everyday tasks independently and maintain
quality of life. We must change this now. We know that research to
find a cure is important. But so, too, is clinical research of
medicines that can make an impact sooner."
"Unfortunately, there is a general misconception among some
doctors and patients that cholinesterase inhibitors do not provide
much benefit," said Dr. Doody, Professor of Neurology and Director
of the Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center at
Baylor College of Medicine. "Years of
study have shown that they do, and, therefore, it is very important
to treat patients to preserve as much cognition and function as
possible – it is important to treat them immediately after
diagnosis to slow down progression of symptoms. This improves the
quality of life for individuals and families affected by the
disease."
"Results of our recently published brain imaging studies add to
the growing amount of clinical and scientific evidence that
supports the importance of the cholinergic system in the treatment
of Alzheimer's disease. Hopefully, we will soon get additional
innovative compounds and therapies that will further enhance the
cholinergic brain system. Companies like Axovant and others are in
the late-stage development process of such novel compounds.
If they are successful with the development of these compounds,
then we believe they could be used in combination with standard of
care therapies that we have today. That's really good news for
patients and caregivers," said Dr. Hampel, Professor at the
Department of Neurology, Marie Curie University and AXA Research
Fund Excellence Chair (Sorbonne Universities), and representative
of the Hippocampus Study.
In summary, some of the most prominent physicians in the field
of Alzheimer's disease call for immediate action: patients
consulting their physicians about possible early signs of
Alzheimer's disease, physicians carefully assessing these patients,
and in case of positive diagnosis – prescribing appropriate
medications targeting the cholinergic system to ensure maximum
benefit.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term
for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to
interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to
80 percent of dementia cases. It is a progressive disease, where
dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its
early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's,
individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond
to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of
death in the United
States6.
For more comments from Dr. Small:
https://youtu.be/jQZunM9fbkA
For more comments from Dr. Hampel:
https://youtu.be/mb_G3HtnFHg
Funding for this initiative was provided by Axovant Sciences
Ltd. Axovant Sciences Ltd. (NYSE: AXON) is a leading clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and
commercializing novel therapeutics for the treatment of dementia.
Axovant intends to develop a pipeline of product candidates to
comprehensively address the cognitive, behavioral and functional
components of dementia and related neurological disorders. Our
vision is to become the leading company focused on the treatment of
dementia by addressing all forms and aspects of the condition.
Media Contacts:
Scott
Stachowiak or Victoria
Meissner, M.D.
Russo Partners,
LLC
(646) 942-5630
(646)
942-5627
Scott.stachowiak@russopartnersllc.com
Victoria.meissner@russopartnersllc.com
Investor/Media Contact:
Jonathan Neely
Head, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Axovant Sciences
(212) 634-9744
1 https://www.alz.co.uk/research/statistics
2 http://www.alz.org/facts/overview.asp
3 Solomon PR and Murphy CA. Geriatrics
2005;60:26–31
4 Small G and Dubois B. Curr Med Res Opin
2007;23:2705–13
5 Data on file
6
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
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SOURCE Axovant Sciences Ltd.