An Alzheimer's Drug May Boost Cognition in People With Fragile X Syndrome

A study in Nature Medicine found an experimental drug intended for Alzheimer's patients apparently improves both language and learning in adults with Fragile X syndrome, reports National Public Radio . The medication, BPN14770, boosted cognitive scores by about 10 percent in 30 adult males after 12 weeks. Tetra Therapeutics CEO Mark Gurney initiated the study after learning that both Fragile X syndrome and Alzheimer's affect a substance called cyclic AMP that helps transmit messages within cells. Tetra had been developing BPN14770 as an Alzheimer's medication that manipulated cyclic AMP, "so we thought there was a strong possibility that this drug might be effective in Fragile X," Gurney said. The FRAXA foundation arranged to have the drug tested in animals, and later in people. FRAXA co-founder Michael Tranfaglia said some previous studies looked at drugs that had dramatic effects in mice that did not translate to people, but with BNP14770, "we saw an almost perfect translation of these findings we saw in the mice into the human condition." Tetra is working with its parent company, Japanese drugmaker Shionogi, to initiate a much bigger study of the new drug this summer.