Vaccine to halt Alzheimer's could be available within few years

A vaccine that has the potential to stop Alzheimer's disease progression could be available within a few years, according to reports in the UK’s Daily Mail and Daily Express newspapers. The product in question, known as CAD106, comes from the research laboratories of Zurich, Switzerland-based biotechnology firm Cytos Biotechnology (SWX: CYTN), which is also developing anti-smoking, obesity and flu vaccines.

CAD106, an anti-amyloid vaccine which is licensed to Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX) - which also has rights to Cytos’ smoking-cessation drug candidate, could prevent people from reaching the devastating final stages of the illness, in which sufferers lose the ability to walk, talk and even swallow, and end up totally dependent on others. Along with its 2011 financial results, Novartis indicated that it expected to file for approval of CAD106 in 2015, noting that it was currently in Phase II clinical trials.

Existing drugs can delay the progress of the symptoms, but their effect wears off relatively quickly, allowing the disease to take its devastating course. In contrast, the new vaccine may be able to hold the disease at bay indefinitely.