GV-971, a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease co-developed by Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceutical, Ocean University of China and other institutions, has successfully undergone clinical trials and is set to file for marketing with China’s pharmaceuticals regulator within the year.
GV-971 was on a par with expectations in terms of the major therapeutic effect indicators of cognition improvement, which bears great clinical significance, per the trials’ findings. The incidence of adverse events was similar to that of the placebo for the controlled trial and no toxic side effects from amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, which are common in antibody drugs, were observed, state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.
The drug is made from marine oligosaccharide molecules extracted from seaweed, and has lower toxic side effects than traditional antibody-targeting drugs, said the head of the research and development team. The drug can reshape the immune homeostasis of the body and reduce neuroinflammation in the brain, thus retarding the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the study found.
If the drug is successfully marketed, it is expected to trigger a new wave of domestic carbohydrate-based drug development, and will be of far-reaching significance in enhancing China’s international status in the field of innovative drug research, the head of the team added.
About 48 million suffer from Alzheimer’s worldwide, with China’s almost 10 million patients ranking it first in the world, statistics from UK-based federation Alzheimer’s Disease International show. Patients with the syndrome experience symptoms such as decreased cognitive function, mental and behavioral disorders, and decreased daily living ability.
Ocean University of China in the eastern port of Qingdao started the GV-971 study 21 years ago and it has been ongoing ever since.
Source: yicaiglobal.com
