“This is the first study to show that [the compound] Cu(ATSM) can increase the abundance of P-gp clearance pumps in an Alzheimer’s model, by 24.1 percent, effectively linking the repair of the blood-brain barrier to a reduction in toxic proteins and improved cognitive function,” Dr. Pyun said.

“By improving the pumps, the brain can finally clear out the trapped waste. Over 56 days, the treatment reduced toxic amyloid-beta by 42 percent and improved spatial learning by nearly 44 percent.”

“Cu(ATSM) is a copper compound with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties that has already progressed to clinical testing for conditions like Parkinson’s and ALS,” Professor Nicolazzo said.

  • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Cool, so they’ll get bought up by an Alzheimer’s medicine company that produces a medicine that doesn’t work, and we’ll never hear of this breakthrough again.

    Capitalism is great at killing off medicines. No money in making people healthy, they buy less “medicine” that way.

    • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      produces a medicine that doesn’t work

      There’s no reason to be needlessly jaded. Those companies would absolutely produce this if it worked, because you’d have to take it forever.

    • Greyghoster@aussie.zone
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      3 months ago

      Capitalism is great for burying all sorts of innovative ideas and holding back progress so profits can be made using sunk investments.

    • protist@retrofed.com
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      3 months ago

      This doesn’t make sense though, if they have a drug that works, they’ll make fucking bank. Pharmaceutical companies would kill for a blockbuster drug like that

    • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      Wdym? If a drug like this were successful, everybody with any markers for Alzheimer’s would want to be in on it. They’d make bank for several years, until the patent expires, and then they’d have other methods of extending the patent and prolonging market exclusivity.

      Sorry but this is a shit talking point. What drug companies fear is the eradication of an ailment, and particularly by non-pharmaceutical means (i.e. gene therapy).

      Even something that’s 100% effective in preventing Alzheimer’s, would still see a hell of a market.

      And if such a drug is possible, then there’s the game theory question. Any pharma exec knows that if their company can make a breakthrough medicine…so too could another company. Is it worth it for them to sit on it, only for another company to make the same discovery a year or two later and bring it to market?