"In our initial studies in AD patients, IGIV provided significant cognitive benefits, improved brain metabolism and reduced beta amyloid levels in the spinal fluid," says Norman Relkin, M.D., project director and director of the Weill Cornell Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Program. In a Phase II trial at Weill Cornell, Dr. Relkin reported that participants undergoing several months of continuous IGIV therapy also demonstrated improvement in their activities of daily living. He added, "These findings, as well as IGIV's long established record of safe use for treating other diseases, provide a strong rationale for further study in AD patients on a larger scale."

The GAP (Gammaglobulin Alzheimer's Partnership) Study will examine the safety, effectiveness and tolerability of IGIV in patients with mild to moderate AD. GAP is recruiting 360 participants at 36 sites nationwide. This large Phase III clinical trial expands on earlier testing, is one of two Phase III trials and is part of the final phase in studying IGIV as a potential treatment for AD before seeking regulatory approval.

The trial is being conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a nationwide consortium of research centers and clinics coordinated by the University of California at San Diego and directed by Paul Aisen, M.D.

"As many as five million Americans may be afflicted now and with the numbers growing rapidly, ADCS clinical trials such as the GAP study are essential to finding new and more effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease," Aisen commented.

Source: University Hospitals Case Medical Center