two weeks ago the alzheimers vaccine study on solanezumab came out
the results werent promising
however there was a 15% improvement noted in those folks
with mild alzheimers disease
this vaccine an antibody against beta amyloid doesnt go after the
plaques that form from beta amyloid in the brain
my drug does though
also
it appears that for this stuff or any new alzheimers drug to be
effective
it has to be used in folks like me with minimal disease
or
those folks like some of you that have prodromal alzheimers
ie
you just dont have symptoms yet but the disease process is
going on and has been for several years
once you get full blown alzheimers disease it may be too late
for a treatment
the solanezumab study called a4 results will be out in a few years
its on prodromal folks
if any of you saw the 60 minutes show on alzheimers disease
that was a story of using one of these drugs called crenezumab
in a large extended family of folks in colombia who will get
alzheimers since they carry the dominant alzheimers gene
this one works more like the one thats being used in the study
i have been trying to get in
well
todays that day
i passed hurtle number one
i got past the nurse screener
i have been accepted to enter the prescreening part of their study
on
aducanumab
this one i think is the most promising of all the drugs so far
npr article on aducanumab
this last week at a large alzheimers conference in san diego
the data from its phase 1 study was discussed
in folks with minimal symptoms
like me
not only did the beta amyloid get removed from the brain plaques
and the cs fluid around the brain
but
folks memory stayed the same or got better
the placebo folks who didnt get the drug
their memories deteriorated
there is a memory test commonly used in doctors offices
called the mmse
you get a score of 0-30
placebo folks deteriorated almost 2 points
treated folks didnt change or declined much slower
based on which dose of the drug they got
so for me i would accept no change or mild decline
the alternative to doing nothing
well
thats not good
its real bad
so today i get started on several more hurtles
today
my wife she and i make the trip to dallas
to the alzheimers center at ut southwestern
to start my journey
one i have been hoping for for 6 years now
it starts with an interview with the research nurse
asking me and my wife she lots of questions
all 1000+ of us in this national study go through the same thing
then
this visit or maybe the next visit if i pass this one
i get a lot of blood drawn
240 ml or 8 oz
then
i undergo that torture test
called neuropsych testing
which includes the mmse and other memory tests that the study is using
then
i undergo a neurological history and examination by the
studys primary investigator
a neurologist
then
this data is sent off to biogen the maker of the aducanumab drug
to decide if i go further in the study
if declined i will have an amyvid pet scan done privately
and
will move on with my life
looking for a another promising treatment
as
the clocks ticking on me
if i am accepted
i move to a spinal tap for beta amyloid and the tau protein
mri
genetic testing
if i am accepted based on these results
then i get the final test
the amyvid or amyloid pet scan
it will tell if i have the amyloid accumulated in the brain
if positive
im in
and
that means i know i have alzheimers disease for sure
well as sure as one can know without an autopsy of the brain
then
i will start infusions monthly
of a placebo ie water
or
the real deal
i have a 67% chance of getting the real deal
i have a 33% chance of getting the placebo
sorry i want the real deal
but
if i dont after 18 months or so they will switch me over to the real deal
for a total of 4 1/2 years of infusions
i do realize since i have the apoe 4/apoe4 gene
i have an almost 40% chance of having significant side effects
mainly headaches if i get the higher dose of the
drug
luckily few people have had to stop the study from these side effects
if it works
its all worth it
the real deal please
the organicgreen doctor
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