MorphoSys Antibody to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease - A growing threat to our society

On January 25, 2006, the MorphoSys partner Roche has filed all necessary applications to commence a European Phase 1 clinical trial with a HuCAL-derived antibody to treat Alzheimer’s disease. An international study has shown that Alzheimer’s disease costs US$ 130-150 billion worldwide, and is consequently one of the greatest burdens on our health system. Currently available therapies range from being inadequate to ineffective.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the greatest threats facing aging industrial societies. Estimates suggest that around one million people in Germany alone are living with this form of dementia. In the U.S.A., this figure is close to five million. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, only the possibility of slowing its progression. In 2005, the memantine class of drugs currently used for treatment of Alzheimer’s generated revenues of around US$ 660 million and this category of treatment alone is forecast to achieve a market volume of US$ 1 billion over the next few years. However, memantine drugs have poor selectivity in their mode of action, so their use is associated with severe side-effects.

They can therefore be administered only in small doses, which limits the benefits of the treatment. The antibody identified during the collaboration with Roche attacks the abnormal build-ups of the amyloid beta protein in the cerebral tissue that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. The international Alzheimer’s research community has identified the breakdown of these deposits as a promising starting point for treatment. Removal of the amyloid beta deposits has been linked to improved cognitive functioning.

For more information please visit www.roche-trials.com

The HuCAL antibody was designed to enter the brain tissue and bind to abnormal build-ups of the amyloid beta protein