(Credit: People’s Health Dispatch / Cuba Plus)

By  Gary  Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Cuban scientists have announced breakthroughs in the medical treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Granma reported that studies with the neuroprotective drug NeuralCIM (commercial name of NeuroEPO) are being carried out with the beginning of classification consultations of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s that will take part in the third phase of the clinical trial of the drug. The study began in Cuba capital city Havana.  NeuralCIM is a product for nasal use, which makes it “easy”  to administer. “What it does is prolong the life of cells of the nervous system a little more, so the symptoms are more spaced out, and the disease doesn’t progress so rapidly,” Cuban neurologist Hector Vera Cuesta told AbrilAbril.  Dr. Leslie Perez Ruiz, promoter of the Alzheimer clinical trial at the the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM),  explained that there is currently a database of more than 400 patients, of which 371 are from Havana, according to Granma. According to Dr. Perez Ruiz, phase III of the study is likely to begin September or October and seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this nasal administration formulation.  During the third phase of the trial, additional diagnostic procedures will be carried out to confirm patients are suffering from Alzheimer’s, and not another form of dementia. In case another disease is confirmed, patients will not be included in the trial, but will be referred to specialists to receive adequate forms of care. During the trial, the effects of NeuralCIM will be compared to those of Donepezil, a dementia drug approved for use in the U.S.. One third of the participants of the trial will be receiving NeuralCIM, one third Donepezil, and one third a combination of the two, explained Dr.  Pérez Ruiz.   NeuralCIM will be compared with Donepezil, a drug approved since by the U.S. Drug Regulatory Agency the 1990s, according to Dr.  Pérez Ruiz. Meanwhile, for the first time in Cuba, the patient will undergo a molecular and a clinical diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease, Granma reported. She said that a phase IV trial will be carried out in the rest of the country, in patients with mild/moderate phenotype of the disease (amnesic variant), and whose diagnosis will only be clinical. Dr. Pérez Ruiz also stated that the drug will be applied by the caregiver at home, who will be trained in the health institutions for the correct administration of NeuralCIM.

Although around 55 million people around the world suffer from some form of dementia, existing therapies are few and rely on prolonged use, which can lead to discontinuation of therapy in some patients.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia

It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment

Alzheimer’s disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language

It can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities

Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease. There likely is not a single cause but rather several factors that can affect each person differently

Medical management can improve quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and for their caregivers. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease

SOURCE:  CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention)