Cassava Sciences Announces Positive Results in Phase 2 Trial of New Alzheimer's Drug

Biotechnology firm Cassava Sciences announced that its Alzheimer's drug, sumifilam, had positive results in treating Alzheimer's patients in a phase 2 study, with findings to be presented at H.C. Wainwright's 22nd Annual Global Investment Conference, reports Forbes . Sumifilam targets filamin A, a protein that may influence the toxic proteins that cause Alzheimer's, when modified. "Amyloid disrupts the protein tau, and in order to do that it requires . . . filamin A," says Cassava' Sciences' Lindsay Burns. She adds that restoring filamin A to its normal form will not cause amyloid to disrupt tau. The study indicated that among 64 subjects, sumifilam recipients showed improvements in multiple disease-indicating biomarkers and cognition tests versus participants treated with a placebo. Those treated with 100 milligrams of sumifilam exhibited an 18 percent decrease in total tau levels and a 14 percent increase in amyloid beta42. Those on sumifilam also did better on memory tests. Cassava Sciences also is developing a diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer's, which would allow people to start treatment early, and hopefully decelerate or even reverse the disease.