A new Cochrane review said anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs show no clinically meaningful benefit, but many researchers said the analysis has major limitations. Newer evidence on lecanemab and donanemab and broader drug development efforts continue to shape the field.
A Delphi consensus of 23 experts identified Zostavax, sildenafil and riluzole as high-priority candidates for Alzheimer disease clinical trials. Caregivers ranked the herpes zoster vaccine highest for acceptability and perceived benefit–risk balance.
Multiple therapeutic approaches targeting the APOE4 gene are advancing, including small molecule drugs, gene therapies, and repurposed medications. The APOE4 variant confers a 60% lifetime Alzheimer's risk and affects brain metabolism, increasing seizure susceptibility. Research shows blood pressure drug terazosin can reduce seizures in APOE4 models by boosting cellular energy production.
A 16-year study links higher vitamin D levels in middle age to lower tau protein deposits in the brain, while a major COVID-19 trial finds vitamin D doesn't reduce acute severity but may help with long COVID recovery. Separate research shows supplementation improves vitamin D levels and stabilizes immune profiles in athletes and non-athletes.
NICE has upheld appeals to review its guidance on Alzheimer's drugs lecanemab and donanemab, sending the decision back to committee. The manufacturers argued NICE failed to account for the treatments' wider impact on unpaid carers. This comes amid broader challenges in neurodegenerative disease research following recent high-profile clinical trial failures.
Prothena reported Q4 and full year 2025 financial results with $308.4 million in cash as partners Roche and Novo Nordisk initiated Phase 3 trials for prasinezumab and coramitug, both expected to complete in 2029.
Northwestern University researchers found that levetiracetam, an FDA-approved anti-seizure medication, prevents formation of toxic amyloid-beta 42 peptides in the brain, offering a potential strategy for early Alzheimer's prevention.
Recent research identifies novel genetic causes for rare movement and neurodegenerative disorders, including CD99L2 variants in spastic ataxia, PPP2R5C as an Alzheimer's biomarker, and toxic polyglycine proteins in GGC repeat expansion diseases.
New market research reports analyze biotechnology collaboration agreements from 2020-2026, gas chromatography market growth projections, and Western blotting market trends through 2035.
A Boston University study of 614 brains found that advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated head impacts significantly increases dementia risk, with stage IV CTE making individuals 4.5 times more likely to have dementia.