Already-approved autophagy drug slows Alzheimer's

What's the news: An already-approved autophagy drug slows Alzheimer's.

Why should we believe it: This news is based on a press release published earlier this month by Anavex, the biotech company that develops the drug blarcamesine. The Anavex scientists looked at 508 Alzheimer's patients over 48 weeks and tested the effect of blarcamesine, a drug that increases autophagy.

Result: A significant slowing of decline in cognitive test scores for patients who got blarcamesine versus those who got placebo. The clinical results were also backed by two biomarkers — a decrease in beta-amyloid levels in plasma, and a slower rate of brain atrophy.

Why this is a big deal: Blarcamesine already has FDA approval for certain conditions, and it could be prescribed off-label for Alzheimer's right now. It works via a different mechanism to lecanemab and donanemab, two FDA-approved drugs for slowing Alzheimer's, and it has less severe side effects than those drugs (the most common side effect for blarcamesine was dizziness).

Beyond Alzheimer's, this research suggests that blarcamesine might have broader benefit for longevity and treating age-related diseases. Reduced autophagy contributes to several hallmarks of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and stem cell exhaustion.

So what's next: FDA approval of blarcamesine as treatment for Alzheimer's likely to follow this study. What's more, Anavex is also testing blarcamesine in other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease dementia. Hopefully, we will see more good results from blarcamesine soon.