Sunday, June 26, 2016

Doctors, patients test possible new Alzheimer's disease drug: VIDEO

Image Source: BUSINESSINSIDER

A Cibolo man is participating in a clinical trial that could produce a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease. RVT-101 is being studied as an add-on therapy to donepezil, the most widely used Alzheimer's disease treatment today.

Alan Johnson was diagnosed with early Alzheimer's eight years ago.

"When we first started this, it was easy for me to become embarrassed. It was like well I'm an idiot," he said.

His wife, Gina Johnson, has been by his side the entire time.

"One of the things I told him is I will always have your back. You can trust me and I will always have the best for you," Gina said.

She said she now has to make lists for her husband and they created what is called a landing spot, where he keeps his wallet, phone and keys, so he knows where they are at all times.

Starting next week, Alan will begin a clinical trial called the MINDSET Study. It is a six month double-blind study, in which patients have a 50-50 chance of receiving RVT-101 or a placebo and neither patients nor their physicians will know whether a patient is receiving active treatment or placebo.

"We will be assessing this individual throughout to see if there's any improvement in their functioning," Dr. Kate Glywasky, with Clinical Trials of Texas, said.

Dr. Glywasky is a neuropsychologist in San Antonio. She said more than 1,000 patients will enroll in the MINDSET study at clinical research centers around the world, including in San Antonio.

"It's actually an incredible feeling to be kind of on the tip of the sphere, so to speak, in the medical field, to really be a part of something that's so much larger than myself," Glywasky said.

RVT-101 has not yet been approved by the FDA. If the drug is successful, doctors will push the drug to the FDA and it could become the first new chemical entity approved for treatment of Alzheimer's disease in 13 years

Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by NEWS4SANANTONIO

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