Scottish life sciences firm TauRx Therapeutics has hosted a summit of leading Alzheimer’s patient advocacy organisations in London, as it awaits a regulatory decision on what could become the first oral treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease licensed in the UK.
Representatives from groups including Alzheimer Europe, Alzheimer Scotland and Alzheimer’s Disease International joined senior figures from the Aberdeen-based company at Scotland House on Monday to discuss the Alzheimer’s treatment landscape, patient access, and the difficulty of ensuring that new treatments reach the people who could benefit from them.
The meeting set out the impact the company believes its potential oral treatment could have, and was used to agree a set of shared priorities for improving outcomes for people living with Alzheimer’s.
TauRx is currently awaiting the outcome of a marketing authorisation application submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for its lead drug, a tablet intended to target early Alzheimer’s disease. A decision is expected this year.
A rare gathering
Professor Claude Wischik, TauRx co-founder and chairman, said: “We are grateful for everyone sharing their time to discuss this important topic. The opportunity to gather leading patient advocacy groups in one place is rare, and it is an excellent illustration of the dedication that exists in trying to solve the global healthcare crisis that is Alzheimer’s disease.
“The conversation around our potential oral treatment was robust, as it should be, given the potential impact we believe it could have. Everyone present is working towards fulfilling the hope of slowing the decline of those impacted by Alzheimer’s.”
The organisations represented at the event advocate for people affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and act as a bridge between patients, carers, healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers and industry.
Glenn Corr, TauRx’s chief operations officer and chief business officer, said: “Improving outcomes for people living with Alzheimer’s will require collaboration across all sectors.
“This excellent meeting was a real opportunity for us to do just that, and we are committed to continuing to work with all stakeholders.
“The importance of patient advocacy groups like those who joined us in London cannot be understated.
“For many people affected by dementia, these groups are the first place they turn to for guidance, and they do a wonderful and compassionate job assisting those who seek their help.
“We are committed to facilitating ongoing dialogue across the Alzheimer’s community to help shape a future where scientific progress can be translated into real-world patient benefit.”
The drug
TauRx’s treatment targets the tau protein, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, rather than the amyloid pathway pursued by the monoclonal antibody therapies that have dominated recent headlines.
According to peer-reviewed publications cited by the company, the drug halted the progression of neurodegeneration, and participants with mild cognitive impairment who received a 16mg daily dose showed statistically significant cognitive improvement over 18 months.
Participants also showed no statistically significant cognitive or functional decline across a two-year period.
The company says trials confirmed a benign safety profile, with headache, reported by 1.5 per cent of participants, and diarrhoea, reported by 1.2 per cent, the most frequent adverse effects at the 16mg daily dose.
An oral tablet would represent a markedly different proposition from the infusion-based treatments currently reaching the market, both for patients and for the services that would deliver them, though any such comparison rests on the MHRA’s assessment of the evidence.
Pictured: Professor Claude Wischik, TauRx co-founder and chairman (right), with Dr Glenn Corr, chief operations officer and chief business officer.
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