Glimmer Of Hope: This Alzheimer Drug Failed In A Clinical Trial, But Still Shows Promise Of Halting Disease Progression

The drug is produced by a company called TauRX Pharmaceuticals.

According to Newscientist.com, the company's phase III trial involved 891 people who suffer from mild or moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's. Among the group, 15 percent received just LMTX as a treatment while the other 85 percent were given LMTX in conjunction with other treatments or received a placebo.

Related Link: Alzheimer's Experts Call For End to Under-Treatment Of Disease

When the trial came to an end, tests of mental ability showed that individuals who were taking LMTX alone had deteriorated significantly more slowly than those taking the placebo. Several individuals were more engaged with their family and one individual said the drug allowed their lives to re-start.

However, the drug did not prove to be more successful for treating people who were already taking other medication.

"In a study of this size, it is encouraging to see improvements of this magnitude in tests, and reassuring to see supporting brain scan evidence," said Serge Gauthier of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who presented the trial results today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto.

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