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YahooI live in S. Texas with a mother that has
Alzheimer's. Anyone know where this new treatment (etanercept) is available?
posted on Sun, 01/13/2008 - 7:48pm
Extraordinary new treatment for Alzheimer's
Brain scan of an Alzheimer’s patient
Courtesy NIH/National Institute on Aging
Doctors in California have developed a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, in which patients show tremendous improvement within minutes.
Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain which can severely impair memory, thinking and behavior. The researchers noticed that Alzheimer’s patients have very high levels of a protein called TNF, which is known to regulate brain activity. The treatment involves injecting an anti-TNF drug into the patient’s spinal fluid. The drug, Etanercept, has already been approved by the FDA for treatment of other diseases. The study involved only a small number of patients, but the strong positive results of this early test give hope that an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s could be on the horizon.
NOTE: As always when we discuss medical treatment on Science Buzz, it is important to point out – we are not doctors. We cannot give medical advice, nor should you take medical advice from anyone over the Internet. If you have questions about this treatment, you need to consult your physician.
Your Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Ideas
Ask your doctor. As I understand the article, the drug is available, but it's use in treating Alzheimer's is still experimental.
posted on Mon, 01/14/2008 - 1:55pm
Right. It's not available as a treatment yet outside of a very, very limited trial. (The results came from a single clinic, and only a handful of patients.) And while these reports are promising, there has not yet been a controlled study for safety and efficacy.
The most telling bit, for me, is this one paragraph from a MedPageToday article on Etanercept and the recently published case report:
"Etanercept's manufacturer, Amgen, maintained a hands-off attitude toward the research. It issued a statement saying it did not endorse or support Dr. Tobinick's program. A spokeswoman said he company had no plans to conduct or fund studies on the drug's possible use in Alzheimer's disease. She said the company has determined there is not scientific justification to warrant further effort. 'We looked carefully at the data,' she said. 'Right now, we don't think it's a viable option.'"
It's telling to me that, with the huge impact in quality of life a viable Alzheimer's drug could have, not to mention the potential market, Amgen is not pursuing the research right now.
Also, the MedPageToday article contains the following footer:
"The case report had no outside funding sources. The patient paid for treatment as part of Dr. Tobinick's clinical practice.
Dr. Tobinick reported owning stock in Amgen and hods issued and pending patents on parenteral and perispinal use of etanercept for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders."
Now, the facts that the doctor holds stock in Amgen and has patents on his work with the drug don't mean that this case report isn't absolutely true. Unaffiliated researchers quoted in the article describe this as a promising avenue of research. But it will likely be a long time before etanercept becomes the standard of care for Alzheimer's, if it ever does.
posted on Mon, 01/14/2008 - 5:05pm
If I read the article correctly, Etanercept has a generic equivalent. It could be that Amgen doesn't want to fund expensive studies of a drug it does not hold the rights to. Still, Liza is right, this is just one study, and a very small one at that. It will take a lot of additional research before we know if this is a valid treatment for Alzheimers, and whether or not there are any long-term side effects.
posted on Wed, 01/16/2008 - 8:05pm
This is the email that was sent to my sister regarding the experimental study. You can contact Doctor Tobinick who is the person actually performing the study.
Dear XXXX,Please call our office at 310.824.6199 for further information and scheduling. Yes, we are still accepting new patients for this treatment. Further information is also available at www.nrimed.com .
Sincerely,
Edward Tobinick MD
--
Lynna Sim & Lesley Lemus
Institute for Neurological Research, A Private Medical Group 100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suites 205-210Los Angeles, CA 90095
ph: 310/824-6199
fx: 310/824-6196
posted on Tue, 01/22/2008 - 4:12pm
how do we know it wont damage surtain poeple with brain tissue problems. p.s. hi gle n I maybe 14 but I am in debate.
posted on Mon, 01/14/2008 - 5:48pm
I heard about this new treatment from a friend + business associate of mine. My mother has Alzheimers, has been on all the standard drugs. She is in our apt,as we have a full time live in caregiver. Cognitively,she is still ok, but there is a decline,memory,apathy,(very bad) severe depression, she talks,but is silent alot. She's so withdrawn,it is so sad. I live in Toronto,Canada. She has a Geriatric Psychiatrist. (He comes to see her in our home every few months) I myself am a diabetic,on a statin, I read in a medical magazine about use of statins or diabetic oral pills to treat this,as it was explained that this could be a type of Diabetes. Yet,her psychiatrist has refused input from me. I'm grasping desperate at hope. Is this new drug available in Toronto? What about another new drug, "Gleevec"?
posted on Thu, 02/07/2008 - 12:46am
This is good. I know if it was me I wouldn't want to lose my memory and can't do anything about it. I would want to know my family and remember them.
Twila Turnage
posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:14am
I live in Dallas, Texas and my grandmother has it badly. First they said that it was dementia, but they later diagnosed it as Alzheimer's. My grandmother seemingly went into this overnight. She was a nurse her at Baylor hospital for nealry 35 years and one night one the way home in her brand new car, she feel asleep at the wheel and crashed into 4 cars around the corner from her house. Then one night shortly after at church, she fell and hit her head. Nearing retirement, her co-workers noticed that she was having problems remembering what floor she was on to, what patient took what? My grnadfather whom is older than her in his mid 70s and she is in her mid 60s is catching hardship of keeping up with the daily routine of caring for her. Can anyone give my family and i any information on this. Ironically, after so many years of caring for others and loving her job, Baylor hospital forgot about her and her dedication to being a nurse and now she needs the help.
posted on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 4:59pm
My mother-in-law just returned from her 6-wk treatment in L.A. & is now back at home in Oklahoma. There is a clinic in Dallas that is taking on the weekly injections which is a lot closer to home than California. My father-in-law says he notices a difference from before the treatment. We can only hope.
posted on Fri, 05/16/2008 - 3:52pm
Dear Leah~ How is your mother-in-law now? Have you seen further improvement? Where in Dallas do they administer the treatments? Thanks~Kelli
posted on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 6:37pm
Wow, this is a great idea. It is wonderful to hear such a positive story about such a horrible disease.
posted on Tue, 09/23/2008 - 4:04pm
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