TauRx Therapeutics and rember™- Frequently Asked Questions

Alzheimer Scotland answers your questions on the recent news story on the rember™ drug trial by TauRx Therapeutics Ltd.

31 July 2008

Recent news stories mean that many people want to know more about a new drug that may help Alzheimer’s disease. The drug is called rember, and is being tested by a company called TauRx Therapeutics Ltd. In July 2008, TauRx announced that remember has shown promising results in a small scale study. However, until a larger study has been carried out it is not possible to know whether rember will turn out to be safe and effective for treating Alzheimer’s disease. This page gives more information about rember and the next stage of the trials. Please note that Alzheimer Scotland is not involved in the development of the drug.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

It is estimated that, out of the approximately 62,500 people in Scotland who have dementia, 62% have Alzheimer’s disease, which means that there are approximately 38,750 people with Alzheimer’s disease in Scotland. Most people with Alzheimer’s disease are over 70 years old. It is uncommon for people to develop it under 60 and it is very rare under the age of 50.

Alzheimer’s disease slowly and progressively destroys brain cells and their connections. This affects how an individual copes with everyday tasks. Each person will be affected in different ways and it is not possible to predict which symptoms someone will develop. The illness is likely to last for anywhere between 5 and 15 years and it is eventually fatal - although as it mainly affects older people, it is often another illness, such as pneumonia, which eventually causes the person’s death. However, with the right help and support, people with Alzheimer’s disease can enjoy a good quality of life for many years.

How does Alzheimer's disease affect the brain?

Alzheimer's disease appears to cause two main forms of damage to the brain: amyloid plaques made up of dead cells and protein tangles within dying cells.

The plaques contain, along with the dead cells, one of the chemicals thought to be the cause of the damage, called beta-amyloid. Beta-amyloid is a fragment taken from a larger protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP) which is found in the membrane of the nerve cells.

The tangles are a result of an excess production of Tau protein in brain cells, which impair the function of the cell and eventually cause it to die.

Plaques can occur in the brains of people who do not have Alzheimer's disease, as well as those who do have it. Tangles, however, only occur in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

What is rember and how is it supposed to work?

rember is a new version of an existing chemical substance, but modified especially to be used as a drug for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s. The chemical, called MTC, has been used in the past to treat urinary tract infections and other conditions.

TauRx Therapeutics Ltd have claimed that rember acts by 'disrupting and dissolving' the abnormal build-up of Tau protein in brain cells, thus breaking down (and possibly preventing) tangles.

How is rember different from existing drugs for Alzheimer's disease?

Existing drugs for Alzheimer's disease, such as Aricept, work to lessen the symptoms of the illness. These drugs prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical which carries messages between brain cells. This means that there is more acetylcholine available to transmit messages. This may temporarily improve or stabilise the symptoms of the disease. However, these drugs do nothing to stop the death of the nerve cells in the long run, so they will not bring a permanent cure.

It is claimed that rember could prevent the death of nerve cells.

Is rember a cure for Alzheimer's Disease?

While very promising results have been given following the Phase 2 trial of rember, it is important to consider the following details:

• these results are from a trial of 321 people, from Aberdeen, Birmingham and Singapore, over a period of less than 2 years;
• a Phase 3 trial, with far more particpants and on a global scale, must now take place and its results will ultimately determine the success of the treatment;
• the findings of the Phase 2 trial are yet to be published in an academic journal, which would allow other scientists to replicate the testing in order to see if the same results occured;
• potential side-effects (especially after long-term use) and varying individual reponses to the treatment could take many more years, perhaps decades, to determine.

Results so far are promising, but we must wait until the end of the testing phase (which could take between 3-4 years) before we truly know how effective rember is.

Will rember work for other types of dementia?

As far as we are aware, rember has only been designed for, and tested on, Alzheimer's disease. However, TauRx says that they hope rember may also help in Parkinson’s disease, as similar protein fibres similar to tau protein (synuclein fibres) are found in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s disease. They are planning a separate trial to see if it is effective.

Can I get rember from my GP?

rember is still at trial stage and TauRx Therapeutics Ltd have stated that any licensing of the drug is unlikely prior to 2012. This is also dependent on the success of future trials, cost of producing the drugs and any decision made by the Scottish Medical Council on making rember available on the NHS.

Can I buy rember over the internet?

It can be extremely dangerous to buy any drug over the internet or from other sources. This is because you will not know what you are buying; it is unlikely to have been manufactured to recognised UK standards that are appropriate for human medicines. As such, there is the potential that they could be toxic and cause harm. rember is still being developed and tested: this potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease cannot be purchased online.

How can I get involved in the rember Phase 3 trial?

When the trial begins, all psychiatrists dealing with patients diagnosed with Alzheimers disease will be given the required information. If it appears that you meet the criteria for the trial, your psychiatrist will refer you to the trial team. After a screening process, if you still meet the strict criteria, you may be invited to participate.

The trial will be a double blind trial: not all participants will be placed on rember in the first instance, some will be given a placebo(dummy pill). For information on what to consider when thinking about taking part in research, see Alzheimer Scotland’s information sheet Volunteering for research into dementia: http://www.alzscot.org/pages/info/researchvol.htm

When will rember be available on prescription?

If the trials are successful and the drug is licensed, the earliest it is likely to be available is 2012.

Is Alzheimer Scotland involved in the rember™ trials or with TauRx Therapeutics Ltd?

No. Alzheimer Scotland is not involved with the rember trials or with TauRx Therapeutics. We have no influence in referring potential participants for the trials. We are, however, interested in the ongoing trials for rember and will be closely monitoring any future findings.

Further information can be found on the University of Aberdeen website:
TauRx Therapeutics Ltd & University of Aberdeen - New treatment halts progress of Alzheimer's disease

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