Alzheon researchers discover new brain substance, providing possible Alzheimer's therapy pathway

6 August 2018

Alzheon, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company with a focus on Alzheimer's, announced on Monday that researchers had discovered a naturally-occurring substance in the human brain that suppresses the production of a protein linked to the disease.

The substance, which has been named as 3-sulfopropanoic acid (3-SPA), is the primary metabolite of tramiprosate (homotaurine), the active ingredient in Alzheon's ALZ-801. This news comes after extensive research, which Alzheon says has allowed it to come to firm conclusions about the nature of 3-SPA and its role in fighting Alzheimer's disease.

3-SPA inhibits the formation of the neurotoxic beta amyloid (AB) oligomers, the key force behind the escalation of Alzheimer's symptoms. The company reports that 3-SPA levels were up to 12 times greater in Alzheimer's patients taking ALZ-801 than those on placebo.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK