Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) — Alzheimers symptoms improved in
just 10 minutes in a single patient injected with Amgen Inc. and
Wyeths anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel, according to a case
report by University of California scientists.
The patient, an 81-year-old physician, could remember facts
such as the year and the state he lived in after one spinal shot
of Enbrel, according to researchers from the University of
California, Los Angeles. Before the shot, he couldnt recall
such details. After the treatment he was also “noticeably
calmer, less frustrated and more attentive, the authors wrote.
In 2006, the same researchers reported that 15 Alzheimers
patents with mild to severe symptoms showed “sustained
cognitive improvement after six months of weekly Enbrel
injections. Studies suggest an excess of the inflammation
protein blocked by Enbrel, called TNF-alpha, is involved in the
disorders development, the authors reported in the Journal of
Neuroinflammation.
“This absolutely has the potential to be a disease-
modifying treatment, said Edward Tobinick, one of the studys
authors and an associate professor at the UCLA School of
Medicine. “Since this report, our patient has received several
other doses, and hes continued to show a therapeutic benefit.
No other patients were involved in this latest research, so
there was no control group. Also, the patient, his family and
the doctor were aware of the treatment.
“The concept is interesting, said Michael Lampe, a
spokesman for Madison, New Jersey-based Wyeth, in a telephone
interview today. “In general, we dont discuss early stage
research.
“There is insufficient scientific data to support pursuit
of a TNF inhibitor as a means of treating Alzheimers, said
Sonia Fiorenza, a spokeswoman for Thousand Oaks, California-
based Amgen, in an e-mailed statement.
Inflammation Interrupted
Enbrel and similar medications may interrupt the
inflammation that produces a substance called beta amyloid,
which causes Alzheimers characteristic tangles in the brain.
TNF-alpha, or tumor necrosis factor alpha, may also interfere
with the way neurons communicate, so Enbrel may help brain cells
transmit their messages, said Tobinick, who disclosed in the
report he owns stock in Amgen and has patents for giving TNF
treatments to patients with Alzheimers.
Tobinick hasnt tested other TNF-alpha-blockers, though
they too may aid in treatment, he said.
“My natural inclination would be to be highly skeptical,
said Thomas Finucane, a professor of geriatric medicine at Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. He noted the limited
sample size.
More Study Warranted
Amgen and Wyeths Enbrel, approved in 1998, was the first
rheumatoid arthritis drug from proteins instead of chemicals, a
biotechnology class of TNF-inhibitors that includes Abbott
Laboratories Humira, Johnson %26amp; Johnsons Remicade and Bristol-
Myers Squibb Co.s Orencia.
Enbrel and similar medications “are worthy of further
investigation, and may lead to earlier therapeutic intervention
which may have the potential to favorably affect the natural
history of Alzheimers disease, the researchers said in the
report.
Amgen fell 9 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $47.56, at 4
p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading.
Wyeth fell 22 cents, or less than a percent, to $47.14 in New
York Stock Exchange composite trading.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Elizabeth Lopatto in New York at
