Reuters
Alzheimer's disease patients treated with Baxter International's Gammagard for 18 months showed better cognitive function and less brain enlargement than those given a placebo, the company said on Tuesday.
After 18 months, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease who received the intravenous medication in a Phase II study averaged about 1.36 points higher than patients who initially received a placebo on a test of mental abilities.
On a second cognitive performance test, patients who received Gammagard declined by about 9.15 fewer points than placebo patients.
MRI analyses also showed patients treated with Gammagard saw a 6.7 percent decrease in annual ventricular enlargement in their brains, compared to a 12.3 percent rate in patients on a placebo.
The data were presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.
Gammagard, an intravenous therapy of antibodies derived from human plasma, is approved to treat immune system disorders.
Baxter said it is enrolling patients in a Phase III study of Alzheimer's patients and plans to begin a second Phase III study to confirm the results in more patients.
More than 5 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which is marked by progressive deterioration of learning and language abilities, memory and fine-motor skills.
After 18 months, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease who received the intravenous medication in a Phase II study averaged about 1.36 points higher than patients who initially received a placebo on a test of mental abilities.
On a second cognitive performance test, patients who received Gammagard declined by about 9.15 fewer points than placebo patients.
MRI analyses also showed patients treated with Gammagard saw a 6.7 percent decrease in annual ventricular enlargement in their brains, compared to a 12.3 percent rate in patients on a placebo.
The data were presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.
Gammagard, an intravenous therapy of antibodies derived from human plasma, is approved to treat immune system disorders.
Baxter said it is enrolling patients in a Phase III study of Alzheimer's patients and plans to begin a second Phase III study to confirm the results in more patients.
More than 5 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which is marked by progressive deterioration of learning and language abilities, memory and fine-motor skills.
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