Using beta-amyloid specific antibody, Gantenerumab, to slow down cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by Nhi Phuong Quynh Le, B.A |
Posted on December 1st, 2023
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Previous studies had shown that beta-amyloid specific antibodies can be utilized to halt the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, the degree of clinical benefit is linked to the antibody’s ability of binding and removing the beta-amyloid. Gantenerumab is an antibody that has been proven to have a high affinity to beta-amyloid. Recently, a paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine reporting the effectiveness of Gantenerumab in managing Alzheimer’s development.
The paper included analysis from 2 different studies with a total of 1965 participants who are between the ages of 50 and 90 years old. They had been experiencing mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, equivalent to a score of either 0.5 or 1 on the Clinical Dementia Rating - Global Scale (CDR-GS). These patients were randomly assigned to be treated with either placebo or Gantenerumab, which was administered intramuscularly every four weeks. The initial dose of Gantenerumab was set at 120 mg that would be escalated after every 3 injections until it reached 510 mg. After 116 weeks of treatment, the researchers concluded that Gantenerumab was superior to placebo in terms of clearing beta-amyloid plaques. PET scan showed that those who were treated with the antibody had at least 50 less centiloid when compared to the placebo group. In addition, complete beta-amyloid plaque clearance was observed in more than 25% of the cohort treated with Gantenerumab. However, assessment with the CDR-GS and other criteria such as ADAS-Cog13 or ADCS-ADL did not find any clinical improvement.
The paper included analysis from 2 different studies with a total of 1965 participants who are between the ages of 50 and 90 years old. They had been experiencing mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, equivalent to a score of either 0.5 or 1 on the Clinical Dementia Rating - Global Scale (CDR-GS). These patients were randomly assigned to be treated with either placebo or Gantenerumab, which was administered intramuscularly every four weeks. The initial dose of Gantenerumab was set at 120 mg that would be escalated after every 3 injections until it reached 510 mg. After 116 weeks of treatment, the researchers concluded that Gantenerumab was superior to placebo in terms of clearing beta-amyloid plaques. PET scan showed that those who were treated with the antibody had at least 50 less centiloid when compared to the placebo group. In addition, complete beta-amyloid plaque clearance was observed in more than 25% of the cohort treated with Gantenerumab. However, assessment with the CDR-GS and other criteria such as ADAS-Cog13 or ADCS-ADL did not find any clinical improvement.