An Alzheimer’s vaccine continues its process of development in Europe. It now enters Phase II of clinical trials where the vaccine will be tested on 420 patients.
Phase I was completed just five months ago. The vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated. It may be possible to confirm the efficacy of the vaccine as early as 2012.
The AD02 vaccine was created in Austria by AFFiRiS AG and outlicensed to GlaxoSmithKline.
AFFiRiS AG’s CEO and co-founder Dr Walter Schmidt said: "Last year AD02, along with our second prospective Alzheimer’s vaccine AD01, was primarily tested in terms of its safety and tolerability. Those primary endpoints have been met by vaccine formulations. The decision to nominate AD02 for Phase II testing study is based on currently still confidential results of the interim analysis of the secondary endpoints of the preceding Phase I studies."
AD02 fights plaque formation in the brain that blocks nerve signals. This is the origin of the degenerative disease. The vaccine should allow the production of antibodies that attack the protein that causes plaque formation.
This is not the first attempt to approve an Alzheimer’s vaccine. In 2001, tests were interrupted in the United States and Europe due to serious side effects caused by a vaccine. Then in 2005, it was Sweden’s turn to try, in vain.