4 ms·

Can you share any more information about the medical device that showed efficacy against Alzheimers in the 200-patient trial?

s1artibartfast 4y ago
This is one that I thought was compelling.[1] The trial ultimately failed but if you read the results the post-hoc analysis, it showed promise in mild and moderate subgroups of the ITT population. Most drugs today don't even target mild AD, but go after pre-symptomatic patients. There was also benefit across most measures, but just not of statistical significance. The trial had some major problems with appropriate controls, and is widely cited as a poster child for why the FDA should not require a control group to undergo invasive brain-surgery, and how this can taint the results. It also showed a 89% reduction in amyloid Beta, the same proxy measure Biogen's aducanumab was recently approved based on. https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/71/3/202.full.pdf https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/71/3/202.full.pdf
- mleonhard 4y ago
  Thanks for checking. Alzheimer Management By Albumin Replacement (AMBAR) treatment has shown efficacy in slowing the progression of moderate & advanced stages disease [0, 1]. [0] https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2021.1960823 https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2021.1960823 [1] https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12137 https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12137
  - s1artibartfast 4y ago
    Yeah, is totally absurd that given the health care and social cost of of Alzheimer's we're not taking Broad shotgun approach to investigating potential remedies. There are a lot of treatments that's worth dumping several million dollars in even if they are low probability of having durable effects.
    - mleonhard 4y ago
      It doesn't happen because of the structure of society. Capitalism efficiently allocates capital, but does not maximize citizen quality-of-life.
      - s1artibartfast 4y ago
        Either that or bureaucratic NIH grant grant approvers have no balls.
        mleonhard 4y ago
        Do you have any evidence to accuse NIH of fault, or is your comment pure speculation?
        s1artibartfast 4y ago
        I have been turned down for a half dozen grants in AD research I think could impact millions of lives, and see them funding bs and no impact projects. I obviously have biases and an axe to grind, but these are my opinions.
        mleonhard 4y ago
        Thanks for explaining. How about publishing those rejected grant proposals?

s1artibartfast 4y ago

This is one that I thought was compelling.[1] The trial ultimately failed but if you read the results the post-hoc analysis, it showed promise in mild and moderate subgroups of the ITT population. Most drugs today don't even target mild AD, but go after pre-symptomatic patients. There was also benefit across most measures, but just not of statistical significance. The trial had some major problems with appropriate controls, and is widely cited as a poster child for why the FDA should not require a control group to undergo invasive brain-surgery, and how this can taint the results. It also showed a 89% reduction in amyloid Beta, the same proxy measure Biogen's aducanumab was recently approved based on. https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/71/3/202.full.pdf https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/71/3/202.full.pdf

mleonhard 4y ago
Thanks for checking. Alzheimer Management By Albumin Replacement (AMBAR) treatment has shown efficacy in slowing the progression of moderate & advanced stages disease [0, 1]. [0] https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2021.1960823 https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2021.1960823 [1] https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12137 https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12137
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  Yeah, is totally absurd that given the health care and social cost of of Alzheimer's we're not taking Broad shotgun approach to investigating potential remedies. There are a lot of treatments that's worth dumping several million dollars in even if they are low probability of having durable effects.
  - mleonhard 4y ago
    It doesn't happen because of the structure of society. Capitalism efficiently allocates capital, but does not maximize citizen quality-of-life.
    - s1artibartfast 4y ago
      Either that or bureaucratic NIH grant grant approvers have no balls.
      - mleonhard 4y ago
        Do you have any evidence to accuse NIH of fault, or is your comment pure speculation?
        s1artibartfast 4y ago
        I have been turned down for a half dozen grants in AD research I think could impact millions of lives, and see them funding bs and no impact projects. I obviously have biases and an axe to grind, but these are my opinions.
        mleonhard 4y ago
        Thanks for explaining. How about publishing those rejected grant proposals?