A potential new treatment that could improve cognition and memory in patients with mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease is being investigated by the University of Sunshine Coast.
UniSC Clinical Trials says the drug has disease-modifying potential while the four current registered drugs for Alzheimer's disease only provide short-term symptomatic benefit.
In collaboration with neurotherapeutics developer Actinogen, UniSC will assess the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of the drug in treating early stages of the disease.
Currently, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide, with Alzheimer's disease contributing to 60 to 70 percent of cases, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation.
Principal investigator Dr Peter De Wet said this number was anticipated to grow to 139 million in 2050, highlighting why researching safe and effective treatments for dementia was a priority.
"At UniSC Clinical Trials, we are pleased to lead this study, given the unmet needs of those affected by this condition within our population," he said.
"We are excited to continue our collaboration with the community in advancing this research."
People aged 50 years or older with mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia are invited to participate in the 12-month trial.
Trial participants will be asked to attend 12 visits at Vitality Village in Birtinya on the Sunshine Coast and be willing to provide blood samples.
More information can be found at www.usc.edu.au/trials or call 07 5409 8640.
