The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7349 p576
14 May 2005

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News summary

Alzheimer’s vaccine shows promise despite safety concern

ImmunothNeurologyerapy may be useful in Alzheimer’s disease, two studies suggest (2005;64:1553 and 1563). The studies tracked the progress of patients who took part in a 2002 trial of a vaccine targeting amyloid plaques. The trial was terminated because 18 patients (6 per cent) developed brain inflammation.

Following up the patients nine months later, researchers found that the patients who showed an immune response to the vaccine had improved scores on some neurological tests, compared with placebo, and that the greater improvements in scores were associated with higher antibody levels.

However, these antibody-responders also showed a greater loss of brain volume and an increase in the volume of brain ventricles than the placebo group. Although the reasons for this are unclear, the authors are hopeful that removal of amyloid plaques may have played a part.