Alzheimer's drug study in Orlando area offers hope to patients

Orlando Sentinal

An experimental drug, bapineuzumab, is being tested in the Orlando area and coordinated by Dr. William Honeycutt of Neurology Associates.

By Fernando Quintero | Sentinel Staff Writer

Sandra Thomas would have done anything to get her father back.

The Lake Mary resident lost him to Alzheimer's disease in 2007. During the final stages of the disease, she watched him slowly deteriorate from someone with a quick wit who played golf three times a week into a helpless man who could barely walk or speak.

"Alzheimer's stole my father from me. That's a tough thing to have to live with," Thomas said. "I want to find a cure for this terrible disease."

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, a new investigational drug aimed at slowing its progression is being tested in the Orlando area.

A call for people to take part in the study is offering hope to an estimated 40,000 Central Florida residents affected by the debilitating disease.

Current medications for Alzheimer's disease, a disorder characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function as brain cells are lost, are mostly aimed at making the most of remaining brain activity.

Scientific evidence suggests........read the whole story

Reader comments

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here


For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here


For more interesting dementia articles and activities, click here

Charlotte tapped for experimental Alzheimer's treatment

Charlotte Sun Herald
By JASON WITZ

Staff Writer

PORT CHARLOTTE -- A local neurologist is taking part in a case study to treat the cause of Alzheimer's disease and, with any luck, develop a way to slow the deadly condition.

Dr. William Holt, along with hundreds of other medical experts across the nation, will administer an experimental medication to residents suffering from mild forms of the neurodegenerative disorder.

The study, known as the Investigational Clinical Amyloid Research in Alzheimer's, is designed to gauge the safety and effectiveness of the new treatment option.

Holt is excited about the potential.

"This represents a major step forward," said Holt, who operates Neurostudies Inc. in Port Charlotte. "In theory, this is the first treatment we believe attacks the cause of the disease."

The drug, Bapineuzumab, or "Bapi," is given to participants every three months over 65 weeks. The goal, doctors say, is to clear plaque from the neurons believed to be responsible for the disease.

Current medications for Alzheimer's are geared mainly at maximizing remaining brain activity.

"(These) medications are like a Band-Aid fix," Holt said.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder commonly found in the elderly.

In the United States alone, an estimated 5.3 million people suffer from the disorder, which is the most common form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

The study is being conducted at 200 sites across the U.S. and Canada, including 28 in Florida. Other nearby sites include Sarasota and Fort Myers.

Those participating are men and women between the ages of 50 to 88 who have a diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer's.

Holt expects to see......read the whole story

For more dementia information, click here

For Alzheimer's and dementia activities, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here