Summary: One of the new studies showed that one of the anti-epilepsy medications can be of significant help in preventing the progress of mild cognitive decline to full-blown Alzheimer’s disease. This drug may slow down cognitive decline by as much as 40%. This drug seems to only work for those not carrying the ApoE-4 gene variant.
Repurposing existing drugs always comes with certain benefits, such as their clinical safety, which has already been proven. Now, one of the safe and relatively readily available anti-epileptic drugs seems to help treat Alzheimer’s significantly.
This drug has been given the name AGB101, which is slow-releasing levetiracetam. This drug has been in clinical use for quite a long. It is inexpensive, is known to boost brain cell metabolism, and has other benefits. Now, studies show that if this drug is given early enough, it may help prevent or even manage Alzheimer’s. These were the findings of the HOPE4MCI study.
It is known that Alzheimer’s develops slowly over the years. Thus, early treatment is always a great time to slow down its progress or treat the condition. One of the early signs of the condition is mild cognitive impairment.
Of course, not all people with mild cognitive impairment progress to Alzheimer’s. However, studies show that about one-third of those with mild cognitive impairment would ultimately be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
This new study shows that this drug is only effective for those not carrying the ApoE-4 genetic variant. This is probably because this genetic variant significantly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. However, this does not reduce the relevance of the study since more than half of all those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s do not carry this genetic variant. This means that repurposing this anti-epileptic drug may help numerous people.
Studies have shown that even in mild cognitive decline, one can see amyloid and tau pathology and hyperactivity of certain brain parts like the hypothalamus. It is a stage when memory impairment is still mild. Nonetheless, it shows that brain cells are fast dying, and a person is quite likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
This new investigational drug, with a known safety profile and once-daily dosing, may help slow down the death of brain cells (brain atrophy). Hence, it may either help prevent the progression of mild cognitive decline to Alzheimer’s or slowdown the process. However, researchers noticed that this benefit was only seen in those not carrying the ApoE-4 gene variant.
Investigators say that they noticed that this drug helped reduce hyperactivity of certain brain parts like the hypothalamus, known to cause mild memory issues in early dementia cases. Thus, this drug could help prevent cognitive decline in many cases, and many of the patients became close to normal, making it an area of interest in opioid addiction treatment.
These results are significant. The study found an almost 40% reduction in cognitive impairment, which is massive. The participants were given this experimental drug for 18 months, and this improvement was compared to placebo. Hence, it shows a significant and meaningful benefit.
Investigators are really excited about their findings since slowing down mild cognitive impairment in its early phase would allow individuals to live independently for longer, and it would significantly delay the onset of dementia.
What is good is that researchers noticed that this drug also reduced atrophy or death of cells in other brain parts. So, it is not just about a slowdown in cognitive decline. It is about the slower loss of brain cells.
At present, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However, researchers are looking for ways to prevent or slow down its progress so that people may be treated like they are treated for conditions like diabetes and hypertension. It would be great if science is able to find medications that can significantly slow down the disease’s progress.
When repurposed drugs like levetiracetam show efficacy, it is heartening since such drugs can be quickly introduced for treatment. Further, unlike some of the novel biologics, such drugs are relatively inexpensive.
Source:
Mohs, R., Bakker, A., Rosenzweig-Lipson, S., Rosenblum, M., Barton, R. L., Albert, M. S., Cohen, S., Zeger, S., & Gallagher, M. (2024). The HOPE4MCI study: A randomized double-blind assessment of AGB101 for the treatment of MCI due to AD. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 10(1), e12446. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12446
